Disclaimer: Don't own anything except original characters. All material (c) to respective owners. I write these for fun and make no profit. They're just random plot bunnies that live within my strange mind.

“What was that?” we both murmured at the same time seeing another figure flying under the bridge in the cover of fog.

“Let’s not find out love.” Jack quickly started leading us faster across the bridge both of us seeing more of the figures fly under the bridge and that’s when one of them made their presence known behind us.

“Gryphon.” I stated before Jack even had the chance to ask. “Half hawk, half lion, and dangerous as hell.” His face froze in a sour look studying the mythical creature curiously. “Number eleven.” We both turned and started to run full speed the rest of the way across the bridge and paused staring around the rocky cliff area we had run too. “We’re in…” I couldn’t finish the sentence staring around the various rock formations that resembled what one would assume were wells for a village, unfortunately they weren’t.

“In what love?” Jacks hands gently shook my shoulder his eyes meeting mine.

“We’re in the nesting area of the Gryphon’s.” I answered seeing him wince at this and glance around the area nervously. “We better go and fast.” That’s when we both heard the odd squawking sound the creatures made from above and around us.

“Right.” Jack grabbed my hand and both of us started to run through the nesting area noticing smaller versions of the gryphon we had encountered starting to peek from various nests but luckily they were still too young to leave and chase us.

“I really sympathize with worms now.” I thought keeping pace with Jack as best as I could both of us ducking around more and more of the nests while dodging incoming gryphon’s that tried to lift us from the ground, Jack pulled me roughly into a cave among the cliffs and waited patiently watching the gryphon’s attempt to reach us several times without success. We waited for a good hour until finally the sound of their attack settled but clearly leaving the cave wouldn’t be an option which meant we needed to find a way out, among the cave we had retreated in. “This is pleasant.” Jack thought wryly before his eyes adjusted to the darkness and we both noticed an odd light inside the cave. The first thought was those exploding globes, but these weren’t white hot light it was more of a dull glow with a flicker from a body of water aspect, the light was gentle and seemed almost non-threatening. Jack hesitantly released my hand and stepped further in the cave studying where the glow was coming from only to see several clear pools around the bottom of the cave giving off the watery glow.

“Interesting.” Jack felt my presence behind him and turned seeing my curious expression.

“Don’t say that…something always goes wrong.” I warned placing my hand on his shoulder and staring around the cave.

“Look at this.” Jack pointed toward the largest pool of water and saw several jeweled trinkets he started to reach into the water startled when I kicked a pebble into the liquid and it dissolved with a hissing sound. “That would have been a bad thing.” I smiled wryly at the understatement.

“Yes and personally I like your hands.” I said not being able to resist the smile that appeared in the corner of my mouth. “That can be taken in so many ways.” I mused aloud hearing him chuckle in response. “Um…did these holes get bigger or is it just me?” he noticed how the length of the holes kept changing in size.

“Bloody hell.” Jack stepped slowly around the various sized holes and led the way farther into the back of the cave. “Challenge twelve?” he asked sarcastically before pausing noticing a slight problem.

“Apparently so.” I glanced over my shoulder seeing the water was increasing in size and we had the choice of going back to face the gryphon’s, taking an acid bath or finding another way out. “I vote look for a new way out.” He nodded in agreement leading the way around the back of the cave feeling for some kind of opening.

“I agree with your vote.” Jack thought annoyed now that the water was increasing the light was dimmer. Finally his hand brushed an opening and he slid in seeing what it was all about startling me when he pulled me in without warning. Slowly Jack navigated through the narrow opening locking his hand firmly with mine and trying to keep things moving along hoping it wasn’t a dead end. With a startled sound we both fell into another cave me landing on Jack who peered around thoughtfully glancing up with a smug smirk on his face.

“Yes?” I quipped refusing to move at the moment and meeting his cocky smirk. “That leaves one more problem…then we get to figure out what this whole mess was about.” When he made an attempt to move I sat up taking in the cave around us.

“Love…as much as I like yer straddling position, I need to see what kind of mess we’re in.” Jack regarded me his smirk broadening before I rolled my eyes standing and offering him a hand.

“You are so…pirate.” I decided against the retort knowing full well he wouldn’t react and by then I was used to his ways. “Dark.” I stated watching him my eyes starting to adjust to the cave.

“Aye.” Jack remarked with a sigh realizing that we had found a what appeared to be a dead end for the moment. “Stay here.” He whispered kissing me softly before leaving me against the opening we had escaped from and disappearing from my view.

“Stay…for now.” I thought reluctantly. I glanced around the cave making out rocky ledges, the typical dampness and felt my feet move briefly on uneven ground before I leaned against the wall hoping that my least favorite critters didn’t take residence in the cave. I waited for what felt like hours but was probably twenty minutes or so and then I heard silence, Jack’s movements had stopped making me suddenly very anxious. I peered hard in the darkness seeing no sign or hearing anything of Jack, I started to move forward yelping in surprise when arms wrapped around me from behind and I heard a familiar chuckle.

“Jack Sparrow…I swear I’m going to hurt you one of these days.” I warned turning finding myself relieved he was alright and nothing had happened to further our problems.

“Found a way out.” Jack remarked ignoring my scowl and clasping my hand walking toward the farthest corner of the cave and pulling me into another narrow tunnel.

I followed close to Jack stumbling occasionally until I felt a light wind and realized we were exiting into the jungle again. I was very glad to see the trees and hear the various noises around us again, but I was still well aware there was a thirteenth challenge and we had yet to deal with it. This time Jack was the one to stumble to the ground pulling me with him and cursing avidly at this.

“You don’t need to be picking up my traits.” I warned seeing him give me an annoyed smirk before glancing around thoughtfully studying the trees and plant life around us.

“Ye have already rubbed off on me love.” Jack pointed out before turning his attention to the other side of us and nodding satisfied all was clear for the moment. “Comfortable?” I gave Jack a warning look before playfully poking at him and laughing when he rolled over on top of me.

“Always.” I remarked watching him stand and lift me to my feet. “Pirate.” I gently stole his lips in a soft kiss catching him momentarily by surprise before he returned it.

“Always will be.” Jack smirked at me when I rolled my eyes in response. “Your pirate.” He considered the thought for a moment and smiled again. “Alright…one challenge left.” He pulled out his compass and waited for our direction.

“Mean.” I muttered wrinkling my nose in annoyance at his obvious unwanted reminder.

“Never.” Jack thought about retorting but decided against it at the moment and grasped my hand leading me through the woods off to our left. The worst part about this direction was the vine blocked way and several uncomfortably prickly bushes in the path. “I think I’m missing the unicorns’ paths now.” I thought ducking a branch overhead and keeping as close to Jack as I could manage without both of us getting hurt. The challenge should have been the path we were on as far as I was concerned; we had only stabbed ourselves on countless thorn driven trees, bushes, and nearly got entangled several times over among the vines in the path. The worst part was the sudden tree roots and low branches that we would tend to forget due to the thorny experience we seemed to keep having, after an hour of this Jack and I were both considerably uncomfortable and pissed to say the least.

“This should be the last bloody challenge.” Jack muttered hearing my annoyed curse when a nice thorny branch grated into my side ripping my shirt and taking some skin with it.

“Tell me about it.” I responded vexed with the situation. “Look out.” I pulled on his hand watching him miss colliding face first with an ugly thorny branch.

“Thanks love.” Jack smiled and continued to lead the way through the thorn hell until we finally managed to come to a clearing.

The clearing was an open field and looked disturbingly familiar to both of us. Finally with a very irritated curse Jack and I realized we were back in the meadow where we had first learned the unicorn wasn’t exactly on our side. Defeated, dejected and both thoroughly enraged at this situation we collapsed among the tall grassy field both catching out breaths. I flinched faintly feeling my side and noticed I was bleeding. Jack was also bleeding in a few spots among his torso and arms.

“This certifiably stinks.” I muttered staring straight up at the dark sky and bright stars. “You’re alright aren’t you? I questioned in concerned with his annoyed heavy breathing.

“Yes…are you?” Jack sat up leaning over me to investigate my wounds and I nodded giving him an amused look. “This isn’t.” he gently placed his calloused fingers down my side noting the several ugly looking cuts from my encounter with a very evil thorny branch. I flinched slightly as he tested the wound seeing if there were any of the thorns inside the wounds.

“I know.” I answered giving him a less then appealing look. “We need to figure this out…and I’m not going through thorn…

“Shhh.” Jack gently placed a finger against my lips silencing my complaints. “This field is identical to the unicorns, but hers didn’t have a large body of water in the center of it.” I sat up seeing where his gaze had fallen and noticed a large body of water as stated. “I’m going to investigate.” He remarked starting to leave me behind.

“Large body of water and lots of fantasy creatures that belong in a fairytale…you’re not leaving me here Jack Sparrow.” I thought standing and following after him. “Captain.” I mentally scolded myself feeling my face twitch into a slight smile. I paused a few feet behind Jack watching his pace halt and seeing his head tilt to the side almost curiously. I heard him mutter ‘interesting’ and frowned already knowing where that usually got us. I walked up quickly to his side and peered over his shoulder feeling my jaw drop slightly. Four very pretty women were wading in the water their hair each changing various colors and flipping large gold, silver, green, and black fins. All four heads took notice to Jacks presence instantly and cocked their heads in a comical manner all to the right side and clearly none of them had noticed me as of yet.

“Mermaids.” I whispered gently in his ear watching him whirl and wave his hands in a familiar fashion. “Sorry.” I smiled at his somewhat intrigued look before noticing oddly enough they were attempting to slip up on land and this didn’t settle with me. “They’re only dangerous if your near the water…or so I thought.” I pointed seeing Jack step back beside me.

“We’re not mermaids.” Come the voice from the gold finned one once she stepped out of the water and her fin shifted into gold pants and tunic. All of the others did the same upon entering the land and watched us with odd far too amused expressions on their faces.

“They have teeth and sharp ones.” Jack whispered noticing I had seen the piranha sharp teeth and stepped closer to his side.

“We’re known to be dangerous…we’re…

“Changelings.” I answered seeing the one in black eye me her expression one of shock. “I read too much.” I smiled sliding my sword out and watching Jack do the same. “You four must be the thirteenth challenge.” I frowned realizing it would have been a better fight with Elizabeth and Will to help.

“How do you know what we are and why we guard this lake?” Hissed the one in silver watching the one in green shift around beside the one in black.

“As she stated…she reads a lot.” Jack glanced at me a minute. “Remind me to let ye give Tia a piece of yer mind after this.” I nodded in response watching the three women watch the swords wearily.

“You weren’t expecting me.” I realized seeing they had planned on more or less seducing Jack and leaving him for dead.

“We weren’t expecting you…and didn’t expect this one to care for you. We can sense you’ve changed this man somehow.” Muttered the one in green her eyes narrowing at Jack who smiled smugly at the observation.

“Not entirely…he’s still a bloody pirate.” I couldn’t resist the remark hearing Jack chuckle at my response. “Last I checked changelings were tricky and always had a plan.” I jumped back when a dagger nearly landed in my thigh. “Not disappointed I see.” Watching gold girl glare at me with a menacing grin.

“Not good.” Jack remarked watching several more handy weapons appear in each of the women’s hands.

“Really not good.” I grabbed Jack jerking us to the side when several daggers were thrown at us at once. One landed dangerously close to Jacks personal assets and I heard a nervous curse. “Hey…watch those things.” I warned staring at the four women who were closing in on us rather rapidly.

“I guess I should have stayed closer to you then I thought.” Jack and I both glanced around for the source of the familiar mind invading voice, the unicorn was back and clearly wasn’t happy with our current situation. “I’m not aloud to help you in the challenges…I fear I will have to watch this and hope for your lives to remain intact.”

“Isn’t that great news.” I thought sarcastically wondering how she would feel if I snapped off her horn and used it on her arrogant ass. Jack had his gun instantly in hand and took out goldie rather quickly leaving the odds down to three against two. I quickly caught a thin silver like sword aimed for my head and kicked out at greenie who decided to lash out toward my head. Jack managed to nail silver watching her collapse to the ground struggling to slide away and managed to take out greenie, watching her holding her wounded side surrendering her sword and also attempting to crawl to safety.

“You…how dare…” Blackie held her ground eyes glittering the same color of her attire. Seeing that the two before her had successfully wounded her friends and goldie was holding a bleeding wound inches from her heart, she considered her options. “I yield…you’ve succeeded in all thirteen challenges…the unicorn will help you with the treasure and leave this island.” The four changeling women then with wounds and all made themselves crawl back to the lake to regain their strength and heal.

“Yield?” Jack asked the word seeming foreign on his tongue. “Strange way of winning a fight.” He thought smirking curiously at my bemused expression.

“What?” I asked innocently already suspecting he knew what had been going through my mind. “Later.” I warned both of us turning to a familiar unicorn who kicked violently at the nearby tree by the lake cracking it open to reveal a chest.

Jack quickly went to the chest seeing several important artifacts, jewels, books, and other things that he knew would come in handy in the future. To my surprise the unicorn pressed her horn carefully down on the chest and a light erupted around Jack, myself and the chest.

Jack was the first to notice the rocking sensation under his feet and glanced up at me seeing I was leaning over his shoulder still highly curious to what he had found.

“BRANDI!” Elizabeth all but screeched tackling me to the deck in a rib breaking hug. “Your both safe.” She cried with a large grin seeing Will was helping Jack with the chest.

“Ow.” I muttered and the minute she saw my injuries she hauled me to my feet and caught Jack before he could protest. “We’re back.” I offered wryly seeing Will and Gibbs were putting the odd chest into Jacks cabin.

“You’re both getting those checked out.” Elizabeth had a familiar don’t you dare argue tone in her voice and neither Jack nor I protested the action both following after her.

Elizabeth left us in the cabin long enough to get her usual army of first aid supplies and set to work immediately on all our very sore cuts, scraps and minor scratches finally satisfied that we were both in one piece. She then went to work on lecturing both of us until Jack and I probably both looked ready to murder her and then she left the cabin. “We’re definitely back.” Jack thought wryly before walking over and digging around the chest pulling everything out to sort through. I sat down leaning against him as he went over each of the items and studied all the materials and finally tossed Gibbs a sack with a lot of the jewels and such to be passed among the crew evenly.

“Jack…is it worth going back and telling Tia Dalma off?” I asked as innocently as I possibly could noting his dark gaze settle on my annoyed expression.

“No, ye aren’t going to go hurt that woman.” Jack warned seeing me pout and smirking thoughtfully. “I don’t want her to do something to ye love.” I couldn’t help but smile slightly at this before leaning in and kissing him softly teasing him into a deeper kiss. “Bloody woman.” He muttered ignoring the things in the trunk momentarily before my distraction seemed to win his attention.

Knock, knock, KNOCK

“Go away.” I muttered rolling over into Jacks arms and placing a pillow over both our heads.

“OPEN!” was the muffled answer from the door.

“No.” muttered Jack knowing that nobody could have heard him. “Bloody hell…things are very normal again.” He snuggled closer to me helping me hold the pillow in place.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK

“LET ME IN BEFORE I SHOOT THE DOOR!” come the familiar voice of Elizabeth a second time followed by muffled repeated knocks.

“Is she serious?” I questioned groggily seeing Jack barely crack open an eye at that.

“Maybe.” Jack answered finally opening his sleepy dark eyes and cursing in answer to another round of insistent knocking.

“I think something’s wrong…did you lock it?” I asked watching him close his eyes in a peeved look before nodding. “She might literally shoot the door down as threatened if it’s serious enough then.” I lifted the pillow watching Jack sit up glaring against the morning light.

“I much preferred her overboard.” Jack remarked standing and walking to the door opening it with an annoyed snort.

“About bloody damn time.” Elizabeth snapped placing her hands on her hips and glaring at us both. “Jack cover up.” She turned scarlet hearing a muffled sound.

“Thanks love.” Jack was highly amused and slid into his pants still annoyed at be woken so early. “Now what do you want woman?” he questioned watching Elizabeth’s color return to normal and glare at him.

“We’re stopping into Tortuga soon and Gibbs mentioned something about a ship that appeared to be lurking in the distance.” Elizabeth offered a curt nod and exited the cabin.

“Bloody woman.” Jack growled before walking back over and quickly dressing. “I still say overboard is better.” He remarked startled when I reached out snatching at his coat and yanked him across my lap.

“No it isn’t.” I warned leaning down kissing him softly. “I’ll be up soon…ish.” He smirked collecting his effects and disappearing from the cabin.

--On Deck--

“Soon-ish?” Elizabeth questioned giving Jack a look already suspecting he may have locked her in the cabin due to another one of his schemes, it wouldn’t have been the first time he had done it either.

“I didn’t lock her in Elizabeth.” Jack glared back at her a scowl present on his face. “She takes her time getting around after…

“I don’t want to or need to know.” Will muttered grabbing his wife by the arm and dragging her down to the deck and back to work. “I don’t think I can take much more of those two and their love life due to Elizabeth.”

Jack admired the fact that Will had some common sense and found it highly amusing that he was wise to the fact what he had in mind to say would make them both blush indefinitely. He accepted the spyglass from Gibbs and took a look in the distance frowning at the sight of an unfamiliar ship and then took notice to who was standing at the helm of the ship. “Bloody hell.” He handed the spyglass back to Gibbs and walked off quickly to his cabin. Jack knew Brandi wasn’t going to be happy with the news, he also knew that what he was about to do would again cause a much not needed argument, fight and then proceed into something else.

“Whoa!” I cried colliding with Jack upon exiting the cabin. “What’s up?” I asked already getting a feeling it was very bad.

“Cabin.” Jack grasped my arm pulling me with him before I had a chance to even let my feet catch up with me, luckily he was quick and caught me before I fell to the floor behind him. “Jack…what’s going on?” I sighed hearing the door shut and noticed that too serious expression on his face again.

“We have company. You aren’t leaving the cabin and you already know why…please don’t argue love, Tia Dalma may be a bit daft, but it’s not often she isn’t right.” Jack waited all too familiar with how I worked.

“Bossy aren’t we?” I questioned wanting to ignore his demands but realizing that he was going to be far too distracted if I didn’t listen and I wasn’t about to chance him getting hurt again. “I promise Jack.” I hated to say it but I knew it was far better this way.

“Huh?” Jack was stunned by this and it literally shook him out of character for a moment. “Love I don’t think I heard ye right.” He stated testing to make sure he was capable of hearing right this time around.

“I said I promise to be a good girl…just don’t get hurt or I will kill you myself.” I smiled at that seeing I reminded Jack just exactly who I was with the threat.

“Aye.” Jack smirked at my threat. “Ye keep surprising me like that love and we’ll need to come up with some new forms of entertainment.” With this he gave me a suggestive look and exited the cabin.

“Jack…you’re so mean.” I muttered staring at the ceiling intently and walking over sitting down at his desk. “I can’t believe I just promised to stay out of a good fight.” I slumped across the desk and sighed in defeat. “Some pirate I’ll make…I can’t even break a promise.” I decided to listen to the action on deck and hoped the others were fairing well.

Unfortunately the noise on deck only reminded me exactly where I was and how useless I was currently being. To distract myself I started to pace Jacks cabin remaining true to my word and even locked the cabin door for safety measures and then I heard a crack sound very near Jacks door. Elizabeth yelled and then there was another odd sound making me realize something had seriously gone wrong, I quickly run to the door and hesitated considering my promise to Jack. “Jack could be hurt or Will or Elizabeth, am I just going to stay here like a stupid git because of a promise at the risk of loosing them?” I studied the door and frowned realizing that if I kept my promise something bad could happen but if I broke it the same consequences could occur, I couldn’t decide what to do about this situation. This was answered rather suddenly for me when Jacks cabin was driven open with a force that broke the lock and sent the door nearly crashing into me.

I glanced up into the face of whom broke the door down with help of a few others from what I could gather and met the same guy from Tortuga. He still had that aristocratic air about him and the scar was more noticeable on his white eye in person then at a distance. “Oh shit.” I stepped back into the cabin making Jacks desk a barrier between me and the jerk before realizing he had a pistol pointed at me. I could see the fight on deck was far out of control and this guy had come over prepared for the situation which led me to the question why he was in Jacks cabin pointing the pistol at me.

“Ah…Jacks girl.” Remarked the man studying me carefully through his good green eye, he then resumed his glance around the cabin pausing on me a second time. “I supposed you’re going to have to do.” He started toward me keeping the pistol aimed carefully in my direction.

“I won’t do anything.” I stated angrily before grasping Jacks desk edge in my hands trying to calm my nerves to think of a way out.

“I will shoot yer pretty little head…Jack will come to your rescue and bring what I desire in return.” He stated simply still approaching the desk with a malicious smile on his face.

“He will shoot me too.” I realized reading the malicious grin on his face and reaching carefully among the various objects on Jacks desk grasping to my surprise a pistol and aiming it directly between the eyes of the opposing pirate. “Mexican stand off.” I thought seeing his eyes narrow at this before an almost evil smile seemed to grow on his face.

“Ye won’t shoot.” He stated sounding smug and arrogant.

“I have no reason not to.” I retorted knowing he was probably right and then I remembered the talk I had with Jack and what Tia Dalma had described. “If I shoot this man…I-I take a life.” I made sure my gaze and hand was steady but my inner voice was screaming at me to stop before I made the largest mistake of my life.

I sighed miserably still keeping the pistol aimed at him and reached into one of the drawers sliding something under my shirt and out of his view, he was so distracted by the pistol in my hand he really didn’t pay much attention. “This is it.” I tossed the pistol aside and glared at him only to receive a scowl and curt nod before hearing the pistol go off and falling to the deck.

--On Deck--

Jack managed to take two more men out realizing that things were severely out of control and then he heard the shot go off feeling his blood run cold. “That shot was from my cabin.” Without so much as blinking Jack made his way to the lower deck taking out several opposing pirates as quickly as he could pausing long enough to help Will, and then continuing to his cabin. He was greeted with his door literally angled wrong due to an attack on it and again felt an awful dread run through his veins realizing that Tia Dalma’s prophecy could have come true.

“Jack.” Murmured the highly amused pirate stepping carefully from his cabin and tucking away a smoking pistol. “Now if she had just listened I wouldn’t have this problem…I need one of those items you have in your possession and will do whatever is needed to get them.” He noticed the almost crushed look on Jacks face and allowed an evil grin.

“He shot Brandi…she’s gone.” For a moment all Jack could do was process this information very slowly the fight around him growing silent in the background. Finally he returned to his senses hearing Will and Elizabeth shouting out in confident voice realizing his crew were starting to win out over the army this pirate had brought with him. “He shot me girl…I fell in love and he took her away.” Jack saw red in that moment and was instantly clashing swords with the man in a mad blind rage. The other pirate gave under the sudden attack but somehow manage to remain on his feet both pirates raging heatedly in a fight that Jack was going to guarantee would be one of their deaths.

“What happened?” Elizabeth asked fearfully coming up beside Will and realizing that the opposing crew was narrowing quickly giving them the advantage.

“Something…something very bad must have happened.” Will whispered seeing Jack in such a violent rage he knew there would be no reasoning with him.

“Jack eard a shot.” Answered Anna-Maria coming up behind the couple and watching Cotton, Pintel, Ragetti and Gibbs join them. “Don do it.” She warned seeing Elizabeth was immediately panicked and ready to charge into the cabin.

“But Brandi could be…

“If ye ge in the middle of tha lass…yer liable to ge hur.” Gibbs warned seeing Jacks rage like none he had witnessed before and shivering slightly. “I haven seen tha man so hur in me life.” He sounded so troubled it forced Will to hold onto Elizabeth in case Gibbs wasn’t getting through to her.

“Leave im to deal with wha’ever firs lass.” Anna-Maria stated watching Jack take out the opposing pirate and throw his body overboard.

--In the Cabin--

Jack finally caught his enemy off guard in one swift movement drove the blade through his heart tossing him overboard feeling the rage still burning within him. He slowly wiped his blade returning it to his side and turned to his cabin taking a deep breath as he entered it. “What do I do without her? I was so stupid one minute I was wrapped around her without a thought and then I treated her like any other girl and then I gave her…I gave her my heart.” He realized the black pearl ring was a symbol of his freedom as well as the part of him he was handing to her; she was the first woman that took nothing from him but gave him everything in return.

“Bloody bastard.” Jack hissed refusing to let his emotions run too far out of control until he managed to somehow pull his cabin door shut even at the odd angle. He felt the sting but refused to let tears fall, he was captain Jack Sparrow and his emotions did not rule him, he would never admit it but some did make their way down but he brushed them away without a thought. “Brandi.” He whispered so soft it was barely audible.

I lay there aware of someone in the cabin but not daring to move, that idiot hadn’t even cared or taken notice to the platter I had slid under my shirt hoping he would aim anywhere but my head, at least I would survive it, so I hoped. I realized the sound had come from Jack and before I could react heard a sharp intake of breath realizing Jack had actually thought I was hit.

“He…”Jack stopped before he started to babble in a rage and reached over touching just barely where the bullet would have hit my heart if I hadn’t done some quick thinking and maneuvering. “What’s…

“A silver tray.” I answered groaning as I sat up seeing Jacks eyes widen in utter shock before I pulled out the tray and studied the bullet embedded in it. “I couldn’t shoot him because of what you told me earlier…so I did this, blame it on too many movies or too many times watching Batman.” I placed the tray on the floor beside me and rubbed the now bruising spot glaring faintly at the bullet still embedded in the tray.

“Love…I could kill ye for scaring me like that.” Jacks voice was low and almost dangerous making me realize I had really scared the good captain. “She didn’t shoot him.” He noticed the pistol on his desk and realized she cared to much for her relationship with him and who she was to sink to that level, he also reasoned that if he hadn’t explained to her what Tia Dalma had said, he would have lost her one way or another. “I love ye and don’t ever scare me like that again.” He reached over pulling me tightly into his arms and sat there for a long moment breathing a sigh of relief before claiming my lips in a kiss that literally curled my toes.

“Promise.” I murmured still recovering from the kiss. “I love you too.” Jack smirked down at me before hearing hesitant steps outside the cabin and realizing the others were still under the impression I had actually been shot and killed.

“Ye might want to prepare for crushing hugs from Elizabeth…maybe even Anna, I can’t promise that though.” Jack lifted us both to our feet and kept a firm lock around me, keeping me close to his side before opening the cabin door with help from the other side and seeing all the crew staring waiting for the worst news possible.

“YOU’RE ALIVE!” Elizabeth all but yelled to my face taking me into a crushing hug as promised watching Anna-Maria lightly hug me as well before standing back and glaring at anyone that dared to say she had softened.

I could feel Elizabeth’s warm tears against my cheek and sighed offering the others concerned a small smile before the ship seemed to come alive with cheers and happy calls for celebration.

“I was until you crushed me.” I stated managing to feel myself breathing again after Elizabeth stepped back blushing at her crushing hug. “I still have ribs.” I received a playful menacing look before Will gave me a quick hug and watched Jacks arm return possessively and protectively around me pulling me again tight to his side.

“She’s alive.” Jack stated giving Elizabeth a bemused look which got him an annoyed glare in turn. “Back to work…we’re going to Tortuga!” he called saying a few other choice words before anyone could protest.

What we were going to do in Tortuga was a mystery to me but for the moment we had our treasure to go through and the question of what was so important to the now dead pirate that had crossed Jack. All I knew was I was happy for the moment with my pirate at my side and friends to always look out for me.