Jack ran with the new crew along the beach, holding the leaking bottle in his hands, away from his body. I was right beside him, trying not to trip in the sand or my dress while watching the bottle that he held in his shaky hands. I had no idea what to expect, but I didn't want to miss it.

"Get ready!" He shouted as everyone was running. "It's coming!" We ran over some rocks and Jack kept shouting excitedly, "it's coming! It's coming, it's coming!" He dropped the bottle onto one of the rocks, and the glass shattered. Jack stood back, "stand aside! Stand aside!" 

The ship grew rapidly, and suddenly stopped, leaving everyone gravely disappointed. I dropped the skirt of my dress, trying to catch my breath that was being squeezed out of me from the corset. Jack walked up to the tiny ship, and picked it up with two hands, looking downtrodden.

"It's shrunken," Jack said. "Why doesn't it unshrink? Maybe it's cold, Huh?"

Barbossa swaggered up to Jack and took the ship from him, exasperated. "She needs the sea," he said and tossed it over the ledge and into the water. It landed in the ocean, and sank.

Jack only waited a few seconds before his face fell and he sighed heavily, "she was a fine ship."

I frowned at Barbossa, curious if he knew what he was doing.

The water began to bubble, and Jack stuck his arm in front of me and walked backward a few steps, taking me with him. We watched as the magnificent ship rose out of the water and grew tremendously, back to her former glory and size. Water sloshed on deck before pouring out over the railing.

The pirates began laughing in victory, once again seeing the Pearl. I was both amazed, and shocked. I honestly didn't think I'd ever see him like this again.

Jack's joy was cut short as Barbossa cocked a pistol and held it to Jack's head.

"There be room for only one Captain," he said. He glared at me, recalling the fighting that occurred between the three of us last time we had board the Pearl, "that goes for you too, missy."

"Indeed, you are right," I said, glaring back at him. I still didn't have a weapon that I could use to fight back. I planned to snatch Captain status away from Barbossa anyway.

"Lads, try not to think of having a woman Captain as degrading. Think of it as having a smart and experienced captain who just happens to be a woman," Scrum said, taking my side.

"I'd prefer for them to think of it as degrading," I stated flatly.

"She will not be captain," Barbossa hissed.

"I am Pirate Lord of the South China Sea," I said back.

"We aren't in the South China Sea," Barbossa spat, "I'm the Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea. Makes no difference."

"Technically, I'm Pirate Lord of the Caribbean so it is only fitting that I am captain since we are, in fact, in the Caribbean," Jack spoke up.

I smiled smugly and said, "I'm Pirate King."

"She's got a point," Henry added, blocking Carina slightly as Barbossa's gun was still pointed at me and Jack.

Jack the monkey climbed up onto Barbossa's shoulder and Jack yelled. He shook his head at the monkey and said, "filthy beast."

"We don't have time for this. Time to race the dead," Barbossa said and everyone boarded the ship. He was just mad that I had a point.

When we boarded the Pearl, I was immediately tied up with Jack to a mast at the bow with rope, while Henry and Carina were tied up to another mast on the other side of the Pearl near Barbossa on the quarterdeck as he studied his map.

I looked to one of Barbossa's men who was making the knot in our bounds and said, "Barbossa and I go way back. Why don't you... untie me."

He shook his head, "Captains orders."

"Well, I am King and you will do as I say."

"Unless Barbossa gives the orders, I listen to no one," he said and walked off, and I cursed at him in French under my breath. I was not pleased with this arrangement.

"Good try, love," Jack said to me.

Other men continued to tighten the rope around us and Jack said, "the only safe place is the land. Why are we going away from the land? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone!"

Thunder rumbled in the distance, blocking our view of the stars in the night sky. My legs were getting tired from standing so I tried to struggle under the ropes, but they were too tight.

No one answered him, so he shouted again, "anyone?!"

"It's no use, Jack," I said with a huff, "we aren't getting out of here."

I had a sideways view to the deck and the helm, and I saw Barbossa stride to the taffrail and look out to the water. I squinted my eyes to see what he was looking at, and it was a ship with white sails in the distance. He called out for Henry and Carina to be released, and let her steer as Henry took out with his favorite little spyglass.

"What's happening?" Jack asked, thrashing his head around to try to see.

"It's not for us, he let Carina and Henry go."

"Bugger," Jack cursed. "Rum would be very bracing right now."

We were silent for a few moments, and I rested my head against the mast we were tied to in defeat. The rope was so tight, it rubbed against my skin through my clothes. Jack was silent too, a little too silent. I asked, "are you still alive?"

I could feel Jack rolling his eyes. "Was not funny then. Is not funny now."

I always thought it was funny to joke with Jack about his age, especially when we were in a crisis. It definitely lifted my spirits, not so sure it did the same for him though.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"Are you?"

"Not really."

Jack groaned in defeat. Neither of us really knew what to do next. No one on the ship was willing to help us, and we did not have the proper materials to cut ourselves out.

I rolled my head toward Jack and I said, "this is your chance to improvise."

Jack looked back at me with soft eyes. He didn't say anything for a few moments, leaving me to try to figure out what he was thinking. He finally asked, "back on the Dying Gull—or, before we got arrested... were you really going to leave me?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He sounded downhearted, which is rare. I decided to tell him the truth. "Yes, I was. I didn't want to be reminded of the man I loved, because the man I loved had left me a long time ago. I did not want to spend the rest of my life chasing something that wasn't there."

I swallowed the lump in my throat as Jack processed my words. I hoped he listened to me, because I did not want to see him turn back into that low-life drunk again. He was too good of a man for that.

He asked, "and—if we get out of this alive—what will you do?"

I sighed. "I'm still figuring that out."

I felt something brush my fingers, so I looked down and saw Jack reaching his hand out from the ropes and holding my hand in his. The cold metal of his rings pushed into my skin gently, and we both looked up at each other at the same time. My heart fluttered as he said in a low voice, "a life of pirating with you is all that I desire. Your happiness is most important to me, and I will be the man that you deserve."

My fingers hugged his back. His touch provided a sense of comfort for me. I said, "I hope so, Jack."

I turned my head to look out at the deck. My attention was caught to Barbossa. He looked shaken after a brief conversation with Carina at the helm, and he walked down the stairs with the aid of his cane. He made his way to us at the bow, breathing heavily. He took out a familiar compass, and I sighed in relief, knowing that Jack could repossess it once again. I saw Barbossa look down at the needle, follow it's point, and look up at Carina.

"Oh, gross," I gagged and flexed my fingers away from Jack's hand.

"What?" Jack asked.

"He's got your compass," I said, wishing I could wash the visual of Barbossa wanting Carina out of my head.

"He's got my compass?!" Jack asked, struggling under the rope.

"Be quiet!" I said under my breath.

Jack cleared his throat. He paused before loudly saying, "Smyth. Smyth is quite an unusual name," he got Barbossa's attention. Barbossa closed the compass and started hobbling up toward us.

"Did we not once... know someone called Smyth?" Jack asked as Barbossa approached. I strained my neck to see.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Shut your trap," Barbossa said to Jack harshly.

"What was her name?" Jack asked, "it's right on the tip of my tongue." He stuck his tongue out, "Oh!" He exclaimed as Barbossa took out his sword and pointed the blade by Jack's face as Jack retracted his tongue.

"Do you wanna lose that tongue?" He threatened.

"Margaret Smyth," Jack chuckled, "aye. Should we make an accord then? Or shall I tell you-know-who what we both know to be true?"

"We both take this secret to our graves," Barbossa snarled.

Jack looked shocked. "You mean it is true? I was bluffing."

I was playing catch-up in this conversation. I had little idea of what they were talking about, and it seemed like they were discussing events that occurred back when Barbossa was Jack's first-mate for the Black Pearl... That was forever ago.

"I'm not."

"You kill me, you got nothing to bargain the dead with," Jack said, "so you need me."

"What about her?" Barbossa snarled, and he pointed the sword at me.

"I am not part of this," I said.

"She's not part of this," Jack stated.

Barbossa put the sword down, frustrated that he was bested by Jack yet again.

"I'll have to be frank, Hector. You are very, very ugly."

Barbossa turned to him, annoyance overpowering his frustration as I could not help but laugh. I pressed my mouth into my shoulder so I would not be loud.

"So how could you produce a fetching creature such as that?" Jack finished.

"Margaret died," Barbossa spat. "I summoned as much honor as a worthless bloggers ever could. I placed the infant in an orphanage... never to see her again. I thought the ruby might afford her some ease in life... but I never imagined she'd take those scribbling... and make a life of her own. A life that's led her back to me."

I could hear Jack the monkey chirping and climbing up on Barbossa's shoulder as Jack the human said, "I'd say this puts me in a rather favorable position, daddy."

"Tell me what you want." Barbossa approached him.

"I want me compass," Jack began his list, "216 barrels of rum, and the monkey."

"You want Jack?" Barbossa asked as the monkey screeched.

"Dinner. I want to eat him, I want to eat that monke..." his voice was stopped when Jack the monkey shoved a cloth into his mouth.

"No deal, Jack. A clever young woman such as that would never believe... that a swine like me could ever be her blood."

I heard Jack try to talk back, only to have him be incoherently muffled by the cloth in his mouth.

"And the Trident will be mine," Barbossa finished, walking past me to get down the steps.

"We could give her the compass and make her really really want her father," I suggested to Jack, "boom. It points to Barbossa, problem solved."

Jack still had the cloth in his mouth, but he muffled in agreement.

"Readcoats! Redcoats!" Those on deck started screaming. Jack looked toward me and I looked forward to see a ship with white sails quickly approaching.

"She comes starboard! We shall fight to the last," Barbossa called out. He started to swagger back up the stairs to the helm. "The Pearl will not be taken from me again."

Thunder rumbled, and rain started to drizzle. I said, "Jack, look!" I nodded toward the white sails. From the light of the lightening, I could see the silhouette of Salazar's ship rising behind the British Empire's ship. The ship rose, revealing its skeletal underbelly moments before the Silent Mary crunched down and devoured the Navy ship. It exploded before collapsing into the ocean.

Jack started screaming, which was muffled from the gag. I called out for help, but no one was looking toward us. I lost my breath quickly by the tightness of my corset. Jack started to hop up and down which made the rope rub against my bare neck and collarbone.

The Silent Mary slid right up along side the Pearl, men were screaming as it crashed into the side, jolting everyone. The dead crew boarded the Pearl, and my blood ran cold when I heard Salazar say in a menacing sing-songy voice, "Jack Sparrow! Jack Sparrow!"

I heard a grunt and a muffled scream. I looked over to see Henry standing beside Jack, using a dagger to furiously saw at the ropes. I don't think I've ever been happier to see him than in that moment.

"Hurry up, man," Jack said after getting his gag out. Henry continued to saw feverishly at the ropes, "what did you sharpen it with? Butter?"

Swords clanged from the deck, and I could see Salazar approaching the stairs. Jack grabbed me and yanked me out of the rope. He grabbed a line that hung from the top of the mast, and he shoved it in my hands. He grabbed the rope from above, and ran and jumped so we swung out toward the Silent Mary. I was going to jump off onto the deck, but our swing was not strong enough. We started swinging back to the Pearl, and Jack yelped in my ear.

Jack was yelling and kicked his legs up just in time for me to avoid a cannon that was sticking out of the ship, giving him a punch to the gut instead. Jack looked up past me and gasped.

"There's nowhere to hide," Salavar's voice shouted from behind me. He swung his sword and it landed in the wood of his ship as I ducked, and Jack jumped out of the way just in time onto a cannon from the Pearl. I jumped in front of Jack while lifting up the skirt of my dress so I didn't trip on it as he jumped to another cannon, and another with Salazar following close behind. The ships were so close, Jack and I were running along the cannons, dueling against Salazar.

I felt hands on my waist and I instinctively screamed. My head shot down and I grabbed at the wrists. I saw Jack's rings contrasted against my red dress, and he took the opportunity from the little amount of time we had to launch me up onto the deck of the Pearl. I gripped hold of the railing, kicking my feet to aid in hoisting myself up to the deck since I could not bend at my waist. I felt force on my foot and realized that I kicked Salazar in the face. I looked back and saw him jerk his sword toward me in vengeance, but I was pulled onto the deck at the last moment for him to miss and launch his sword into the ships wood. He yanked it out and went back to chasing after Jack.

I looked up and saw that Henry had pulled me onto the deck, saving me from certain death. I thanked him as I scrambled to my feet, and he handed me a sword. He turned just in time to shield off the blade from a ghost-pirate, and I ran up to the helm with Carina to protect her from any of the ghost-pirates as she steered the ship.

"Annette! You're all right!" She exclaimed. "I thought you fell off the ship!"

I gripped the sword tightly in my hand and smiled at her in response. Our interaction was brief as a ghost-pirate began to duel against me. He tripped and fell over the railing of the ship. I turned to Carina and said, "concentrate on steering. I'll cover you."

"Have you found what you're looking for yet, Miss?!" One of the pirates from Barbossa's crew asked as he was fighting off a ghost-pirate.

"I'm trying!" Carina shouted back, flipping through the pages of her book.

I looked up at the sky and the stars and said, "the stars will be gone soon. What are you doing? Sailing around in circles?!"

I kept fighting off the ghost-pirates. Their bodies were solid, which I found to be helpful in fighting them. I tried to study the stars as much as I could, and I think I was right. Carina was sailing us in circles, which was how the pirates caught up to us. Not much time had passed when an island finally appeared in the distance.

"Carina!" Henry shouted from deck after fighting one of a ghost-pirates.

"Henry, look!" Carina shouted, "the island is there!"

Henry looked out to the island and back up at her, "you found it!" He shouted with a smile

"Get to the Mary!" One of the ghost-pirates shouted. As the pirates began running off the Pearl and onto their own ship, and Jack came crashing back onto the deck of the Pearl.

Salazar busted onto the helm and grabbed Carina and the wheel and she screamed. I tightened my grip around my sword and thrusted the blade into Salazar's shoulder. He looked to me with crazy-eyes, and took my sword out of his shoulder with ease. He ripped it from my hands without breaking intense eye contact. I gulped, "merde."

"Carina!" Henry shouted, running up the helm. The ship began to run aground over rocks on the island, crashing and everyone started yelling as we started flying from the impact. Everyone fell over as the Pearl came to an abrupt stop. In the moment, Salazar used his arm to launch me off the quarterdeck and I landed on my stomach on the main deck. I heard a sharp crack and I wheezed from the wind getting knocked out of me.

My jaw was trembling as I tried desperately to breathe. I clenched my teeth as I helplessly watched  Salazar grab hold of Henry and they hopped back to his own ship. His crew members that stayed on the Pearl began exploding into a pile of dust.

"Carina!" Henry shouted.

"Henry!" Carina reached out for him.

The Pearl creaked as it came to a stop, and the sun began to come out.

"They took Henry!" Carina said, rushing down to the deck. I coughed as I got up on my knees, and I felt a slight tug at my elbow. I glanced up and Jack gallantly helped me to my feet. It only took a moment for me to figure out that the crack sound I heard was from one of the bones in the corset snapping. It gave me more mobility, but not enough. But when I moved, I felt a sharp pain in my ribs.

"The Trident be all that can save him now," Barbossa said.

"Then we have to find it," she said.

Men were coughing and groaning as they got to their feet. We all walked toward the side of the ship and looked out to the barren land that Carina led us to. Jack stood beside me, so close that my shoulder was grazing his chest. The sun rose over the land, casting a beautiful sunrise. The sun made the crystals on the land light up and sparkle. The land now looks like the night sky, full of stars.

"One star's missing!" Carina pointed out the red jewels that looked like the constellation that we have been following. "Quickly!"

I squinted out to the land and looked back at Jack. He looked dumbfounded, tossed his arms up in the air and started following Carina off the ship.

Carina ran off the ship, with Barbossa, me, and Jack following close behind. She led us across the land, and I was careful not to trip on any holes or rocks that stuck up out of the ground. We approached where the final star should be. She ran her hand over the jagged red stone and asked, "why isn't it glowing?"

Barbossa handed her the ruby that she had showed me earlier. I have no idea how Barbossa got it, but it belonged on the cover of the diary. "Finish it, Carina".

She took it from his hands and inspected it before saying, "the missing star. For my father."

"Aye," Barbossa said while trying not to display any emotion, "do it for him."

It's very rarely I feel sympathy for Hector Barbossa. But the look in his eyes was difficult to ignore. When he looked at his daughter, all I saw was love and admiration. It looked like he didn't want to miss another moment with her. I never thought he would be one to have such feelings toward another living thing, but I was proven wrong in this moment.

She carefully placed the red gem back where it originally belonged. The ruby glowed, shining a beacon of red light to the others. It created a constellation of the five stars that I saw in Carina's diary. The land began to rumble which vibrated my feet, and I felt it all the way to the top of my head. A line parted in the ocean that climbed up the land.

We all screamed as the land collapsed from under us. The crust cracked and immediately began sloping down. My feet slid from under me, and I fell to my back and slid down the slope that it created as I screamed. After a long tumble, I hit the bottom next to Jack. My face scrunched from the pain of hitting the ocean floor. I coughed harshly and my hand gripped over my throbbing ribs. I thought I might have landed on a sharp shell or a sword that had called out of Jack's belt, but I didn't. I carefully looked around, seeing Carina as well, but not Barbossa.

I stood up and I could feel that another bone in the corset broke. My ribs were so tender, I couldn't tell if the pain was from the corset or if I had broken my rib. I cautiously tested my mobility by leaning forward slightly. I was able to move around more, but I just wanted to rip the corset off.

I saw that the ocean had completely divided. I heard Jack groan as he sat up. I looked around and saw the ocean surrounding us, as if two invisible walls were blocking the water. Everything had a blue hue from the rising sun reflecting off the dark waters before it reached our eyes.

Carina walked around the colorful coral and said, "look."

"Poseidon's tomb," I said, amazed by the beauty of the ocean floor.

"This way," Carina said, running and making Jack and me follow. Carina finally stopped and pointed up ahead, "look, there it is."

"The Trident," Jack proclaimed.

The Trident could control creatures of the sea, create thunderstorms and tidal waves, it could summon the Kraken, wreck ships, and cause earthquakes. It glowed brilliantly against the dark water that surrounded it, with three sharp prongs that pointed to the sky. Just having the opportunity to lay my eyes on it made my heart feel heavy with amazement.

"Jack!" Henry's voice echoed. I turned my head to see Henry vastly approaching us with a blade in his hand. I was relieved to see him alive.

"Huh?" Jack turned around.

Henry sprinted through, jumping onto nearby coral and leaping off, screaming as he charged at us. My brief moments of relief were quickly replaced with terror. Jack pushed his arms out to shove me and Carina out of the way of the deranged Henry and I fell to my side. I tried to catch myself with my hands, but a barnacle scraped the side of my temple. I hissed at the sharp but brief pain.

Jack unsheathed his sword as he and Henry began to duel. I stood up, inspecting the blood on my fingers as Carina ran up to me and grabbed my arm, pulling me toward the Trident. "Help me get this out!"

We reached the Trident, and I was gripping the bottom of the handle. I looked around and said, "Carina..." as I detected the dead pirates who were surrounding us in the water. They were waiting.

She looked down at Henry and Jack as they dueled and she asked in obvious distress, "what's Henry doing?"

Jack cut Henry, but Henry brought his hand to his face, marveling at the blood. It was Henry, but it wasn't Henry. His eyes were lit with a vacant, murderous glow. His mouth was quivering in a joyless grin. I could see his sadistic smile from across the ocean. "You cut me, you cut the boy, Jack," Henry said in a devilish voice before slashing after Jack again.

"That's not Henry," I said. I turned to Carina and we both struggled to get the Trident free. When I took a deep breath, tears welled in my eyes from the pain in my chest and ribs.

"On three." Carina counted down, "one, two, three!" We pulled the Trident free out of its hold in the ground. It got blasted by water, and flew out of our grasp and hit the ground below.

Carina jumped down to the Trident, and I looked up to see Henry running towards her. As soon as Carina got her hand on the Trident, Henry grabbed it at the same time, with a malevolent smile on his face. He ripped it out of her hands, and the force of the Trident blasted Carina away, causing her to fly back and land on some rocks as she screamed.

I froze as a large ripple traveled through the air and through the water. I watched in terror as Henry's face began to crack, and his body toppled over and Salazar was holding the Trident in his place. I gasped at the sight. Jack was hiding behind a rock, barely looking past it.

"Hola, Sparrow," Salazar greeted menacingly.

Salazar pointed the Trident to one of the walls of water, using the Trident to control it. I jumped down from the coral I was standing on, tucking and rolling on the sand to get out of the way.

Jack stood up and stumbled backward, "oh, no."

"I hate the Sparrow. Die, Sparrow," Salazar said, and pointed the Trident to Jack, causing the water to follow and rush to Jack. I hid my face back down at the ground as the water flew over my head. I heard Jack scream, so I looked up and saw that the force of the water threw Jack back and slammed him into the side of a rock that laid on the ocean floor. He slid down, coughing and groaning.

I brushed my hand over my face to wipe the sticky blood away as I watched Carina run up to Henry's body and helplessly beg him to wake up.

Salazar pointed the Trident to Jack again, the water swirling around him as it lifted him up into the air as he yelled, making him fly through the air and go through the ocean, half drowning him. Watching him felt like the ground had collapsed from under me and I was falling helplessly.

I pushed myself up to my feet, yelling as I ran up to Salazar as forcefully as I could. He looked back at me and I jumped onto his back, because I had no weapon. I realized as soon as I jumped that this was a bad decision, but I had to pursue my poor choice because it was all or nothing. Salazar pushed me off powerfully, making me fly through the air and land in the wall of water. My mouth filled with water as I opened my eyes and felt my hair swirl around me as I realized how close to the ghost-pirates I was. The fabric of all the layers I was wearing for the dress began to float around me. The water filled my ears. All I could hear was the dull sound of air bubbles escaping my mouth. I pushed myself out of the water and back out to the open air. I fell back to the floor and collapsed while coughing and gasping for air. I looked up just in time to see Salazar throw Jack against the side of a rock, and he fell to his knees.

Salazar slowly walked up to Jack as Jack slowly rose to his feet, and in between coughs he spat at him, "leave her alone! As I told you before... surrender to me now and I'll let you... live." Jack could barely muster the strength to stand as he continued to spit out water. My heart ached to see him in pain. I was losing hope.

"You want me to surrender?" Salazar hissed.

Jack stood up and jammed his beloved hat back on his head, "maybe."

"This is where the tale ends," Salazar said, stabbing the Trident through Jack's chest.

"No!" I shouted. I bolted up to my feet and began running to Jack. I tried to push past Carina and Henry as we all watched in horror as Jack groaned and stumbled back. He stopped when he was pinned up against a rock. Henry reached out and grabbed me so I couldn't approach them. I tried to fight back, but I felt weak. The last time I remember feeling like this, was when I witnessed Barbossa stab Jack in the Isla de Muerta cave. Jack looked down at the Trident, horrified, and his mouth was opened as he was shaking.

"Shhh," Salazar hushed, and began chanting indistinctly in Spanish.

"Connard!" I shouted. My anger was boiling, and the empty feeling of having nothing to lose was taking over my conscious as I prepared to fight with everything I had. My increased adrenaline kept me from feeling any physical pain I had from this fight. My heart was beating even faster, and I was willing to die to avenge Jack.

I started to run, but Henry still had his strong hold on me. I grunted and yelled at him to let me go. I followed his gaze to Jack and Salazar, sussing why he stopped me.

Jack looked up from the Trident to Salazar with a smirk. I furrowed my eyebrows together, watching in awe as Jack moved his dark waistcoat, revealing that the diary was hidden beneath it and had taken all the impact of the sharp Trident prong.

"Mon Dieu," I gasped. I stumbled backwards, bumping into Henry.

"Henry!" Jack shouted, grabbing the Trident from Salazar to avoid a real stabbing and started fighting him off.

"We have to break the Trident," Henry said while releasing his tight grip on me.

"It's the only way," I agreed.

"And it'll break every curse at sea!" Carina said.

Henry sprinted as fast as he could toward Jack and Salazar with his sword. He leaped off a rock and swung his sword down as hard as he could. I held my breath as I watched the blade cut through the glowing gem in the head of the Trident, causing the entire Trident to shatter.

The power rippled through the ocean, and I watched Salazar stumble forward and begin to wheeze. The men who surrounded us in the water began choking as the curse reversed. Salazar collapsed forward, gasping. When the previous ghosts stepped out onto the land, they were human once again.

"All curses are broken," Henry said.

"Will." I turned toward Jack, who was still near Salazar. Will is the only person I personally knew who was under a curse of the sea.

Salazar laughed as he straightened up and wiggled his fingers as he felt the flesh on his hands, and the crew were touching their faces. His chilling laughter gave me a sense of danger. I felt a splash of water on my arm, so I looked in the direction and saw that the water walls were starting to close in and return the ocean to what it was.

"We are flesh and blood!" Captain Salazar exclaimed.

"The Pearl! My Pearl!" Jack shouted, pointing up. I followed his finger and saw the ship sailing along the edge of the closing gap. The anchor began to lower, with Barbossa standing on it. He didn't have his wig on anymore, nor his fancy hat or expensive coat. He gripped the chain, and I knew it was him because of the peg leg.

"Move! Fast!" Barbossa shouted at us.

"Come on," Jack pulled me from my gaze and we all started racing up to the highest point that we could find so we could jump onto the anchor. I hoisted up the skirts of my dress so I wouldn't trip. The corset around me was still so tight, it was difficult for me to breath.

"Jack!" Salazar shouted. I looked back and saw him sprinting toward us, with his crew clamoring behind us.

I involuntarily screamed, and Jack shouted, "don't look back!"

"Jump!" Barbossa ordered, "faster!"

Carina jumped onto the anchor and began climbing it to reach Barbossa, and Henry followed. While running, Jack grasped my waist and hoisted me up onto one of the edges of the anchor and jumped onto it himself. We all began our climb up the chain of the anchor, with Carina leading us at the top.

"Up! Anchor!" Barbossa shouted as the walls of water got closer and closer. The anchor started to rise, but Salazar and his crew were still chasing after us, jumping and clinging to the bottom of the anchor.

Suddenly, the ship jolted and the chain started to fall back down. I whimpered as I gripped the rusty chain, refusing to let my arms give out.

"Woah, woah," Jack expressed his surprise. I looked down and saw Salazar quickly gaining on us. His face was full of color, but the wicked expression of homicidal determination was still on his features.

The chain stopped falling down, went taut, and started climbing back up. The jolt made my arms give out, but my hands gripped the iron. As I was pulling myself back up, I saw Carina fly off, screaming as she dropped past me. Barbossa reached his hand out and caught her wrist, and yanked her back to the chain. As I was looking down at Barbossa saving Carina, I noticed Salazar was still climbing the chain, gaining rapidly.

I looked up at Henry's belt and had the idea to seize his sword. It was the only weapon we had with us, and if Salazar stayed on the chain, we were all surely going to meet our premature doom. I gripped the sword with one hand and nudged it to Jack, who grabbed it from me and shouted down to Barbossa, "Hector!"

Barbossa looked up as Jack dropped the sword, having it fall right into his hands. As soon as he had his grip on the sword, he let go of the chain. He fell, stabbing Salazar in the shoulder as he went down. He fell into the ocean that was reforming together below, taking Salazar down with him.

I was horrified as I witnessed Salazar scream, striking his head on the anchor and his body limply hitting the water. Tears welled in my eyes as Barbossa looked up at us, peacefully, as the waves swallowed him. He was my first-mate for many years, friends for longer despite our poor first meeting. I covered my gaping mouth with my hand, but I was at peace knowing that he was dying on his own terms, protecting his most valuable treasure: his daughter, Carina.

I felt the slashes of water soak through my arms as I frantically snapped my head back and forth and saw that the water walls were closing in on us. Jack screamed as the walls clashed together, and I gripped the chain as hard as I could. The hand that I had covering my mouth did not make it to the chain in time for when the water crashed into us. My other hand slipped, and I felt disoriented in the white water as I fell from the chain. I screamed, but in just a few seconds I felt an arm wrap around me. I grabbed onto whatever I could get my hands on, detecting wet fabric in my grip. I pulled myself as close as I could, and squeezed my stinging eyes shut.

The chain continued to pull us up to the ship, with all of us gasping for air once we broke the surface. I shook the water softly off my face, and opened my eyes to see my chin hovering over Jack's shoulder. I had my arms wrapped around him, and he had one arm around me and the other was hooked through the chain. I gripped the chain to take my weight off of Jack, and noticed that his hat was missing.

The pirates on board cheered for our victory as they helped us over the railing. We were all grunting and coughing up water as we were pulled onto the deck.

Jack stood up and looked over the railing into the ocean. I gathered all my hair in my hands and squeezed the water out as I stood up. The ship was silent until Jack said with a sorrowful voice, "pirate's life, Hector," as Henry approached him.

Everyone looked over the edge, realizing who we had lost in the battle for the Trident. I reached up to take off my hat out of respect, but then I remembered that I had left it on Queen Anne's Revenge last year. Instead, to pay my respects for Barbossa, I put my hand to my chest and sighed while saying goodbye to him in my heart. He would always be an important man in my life.

I stood next to Jack by the main deck's taffrail. He was next to Henry, and Henry was looking in Carina's direction. I glanced down to see Jack nudge the diary to Henry to give to Carina. With the stab from the Trident punctured a hole forever onto the red cover as a reminder for the sacrifices that were made.

"That coat of yours has impressive pockets," I complimented as Jack looked out to the promising horizon while Henry gave the diary to Carina.

"Yours doesn't?" He asked. He held onto a rope from the rigging and his eyes glazed over to me.

"As your bridesmaid, I did not have the pleasure," I said. I looked into his eyes and gave him a warm smile. I saw the Jack I know and love, and my heart jumped for joy. My attraction for him was coming back full force, and I wanted him.

I peered down at the dress I was forced into. I pressed my hand to my stomach gingerly, and I felt the hard shell of the lockets still stuck between my torso and the wet corset. I could not wait to take it all off and get into some dry clothes.

"The lace in your dress tingles me neck," Jack said in his sultry voice.

I began to think about the work it was going to take to get this dress off. The gown was sewn onto me, and the corset was knotted so tightly, it would impossible to take off without assistance. I swallowed my pride and asked, "Jack, would you mind escorting me down to my cabin and assisting me in removing this ghastly thing?"

Jack eyed me with a smirk, "absolutely, I do."

I gave him a slightly embarrassed smile and began walking across the deck to reach the stairs. When I was Captain, I had lived in the Captain's Quarters but after I left, Barbossa moved all my belongings to my old room. Jack followed me, and we left Carina and Henry. Jack was right behind me as I stepped down the dark stairs, remembering where the room was that I had.

I had to use force from my shoulder to open the door. The hinges creaked as the door swung open, and everything was just as I had left it. The old mirror that I never replaced, my clothes, and the cot. The Pearl had been in a glass bottle for years, so I wasn't expecting any change.

Jack stood in the dark doorway as I created some light by lighting some white candles I had scattered around my room. It helped tremendously, and I eyed my old pile of clothes that I had in the corner.

I turned my back to Jack and gathered all my hair over my shoulder so it wasn't in his way. "Can you get this damn thing off me, please?"

The floorboards creaked under Jack's weight as he came up behind me. I heard his light breathing by my ear as he slowly fiddled with the fabric. He asked, "how?"

"They sewed it on," I told him. I had forgotten that he wasn't awake for that whole ordeal over at Hangman's Bay.

Jack chuckled and said, "I was right."

"On what?" I asked over my shoulder.

"Dresses do flatter you more. Eminently practical and yet appropriate."

I smirked and looked straight ahead at the wall. I could see his shadow from the candlelight, and he was directly behind me. "Don't get used to it."

"I do have to say that I agree. I love this dress on you, darling, but you won't need it anymore."

I rolled my eyes and asked, "does anything else go through your head?"

Jack chuckled again, "not so much."

Jack's fingers gripped the fabric tightly and he ripped the stitches. He brought his hands up to my shoulders and helped me wiggle the gown off. It fell to the floor by my feet and I looked down at the grungy corset I was wearing. I felt Jack begin to gently caress the lacing. He stepped forward, placing his bony chin on top of my shoulder and his hands wrapped around the shell of the corset. My stomach muscles were trembling under the corset. I put my hands on top of his, and he gripped the shell a little tighter. The boning sunk deeper into my skin, and I exhaled softly. Jack always makes me heart race.

Jack's soft lips found my neck and I tilted my head to the side. His usual approach of rough passion was replaced with a mellow style. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me to his chest. I closed my eyes and savored this moment, but the corset was ruining the mood. I said, "let's get this corset off first and then we can get back to this later."

I figured that it would take Jack a few minutes to release the many knots that was made in the lacing, but I heard him unsheathe his dagger and he quickly slid his blade down the laces, feverishly popping the corset off to the ground. I was finally able to take a deep breath. Jack grabbed my arm to spin me around and he gave me no warning before he gave me a sweet but scorching kiss on my lips. My lips tingled from my love that floated from my heart and transferred to Jack.

"Oh, Jack, I've missed you," I said in-between breaths. Jack's back.

I felt his hands slide under the two petticoats I had on, and he slowly crouched down while pulling them down to my ankles. My eyes remained closed for a few moments after he pulled away. I grabbed his hat from his head and placed it on mine before he stood back up. I noticed his eyes shoot a glimpse up at the hat before they fell back down to my eyes. I wasn't the only one falling in love again.

"I love it when you wear me hat," Jack said. His finger traced my reddening cheek.

I twitched my face gently, and the setting sun was shining through the window in the room which blinded me. I closed my eyes and said, "oh, the sun. Il me perce comme un poignard."

Jack pulled out his sword and used the tip of it to pull the curtains over the window by saying, "En garde, monsieur soleil!"

When Jack tossed his sword into the corner of the room, he asked me in a hoarse voice, "anything else you need help with, Annie?"

My chemise was sliding off my shoulder but I kept my face composed as I pulled away. I backed up until my legs hit my cot and I sat down on it. I smoothed out the white fabric of the white chemise and I crossed my legs. I straightened out my top leg and said feebly, "I need help with my boots."

Jack fell to his knees as he took my boot in his hand, slowly pulling it off my foot. I switched legs, and he did the same thing in the other side. He must have been weaker than I was, because he was unusually submissive to anything I said. His fingers pushed my shift up enough to have access to my stockings. He fiddled with the top of the dark fabric and he pulled them down after releasing the leather garter I had holding them up. I gave him full access to my ankles, and my knees. This was a lucky day for Jack.

I bent down so my plump lips were by his ear. Jack froze and waited for what I had to say. It had been so long since I had Captain Jack Sparrow, I could feel my pulse traveling down every limb. Now that he was back, I did not want to let him go again. I said, "I love you, Jack Sparrow."

"What?" His eyebrows raised.

My little scoff turned into a small laugh and I said, "don't make me say it again."

Jack stood up and placed his hands on either side of my hips and crawled over me. I lowered my back to the mattress and I looked up at Jack adoringly. He said in a voice as soft as silk, "and I love you, Annie. More than words can say."

I believed him. If he didn't, he wouldn't have said it. I was in a celebratory mood over our win so I said alluringly, "show me."

"What?" He looked surprised, but aroused.

I looked up at him and pushed some of his hair out of the way before I laced my fingers around the back of his neck. I pulled him down closer to me and said, "if you love me, then show me."

And just like that, he was like putty in my hands. "I know how to make you sing through the night," was what Jack said before he jumped up onto the bed. At the end of the day, we are pirates. We always get what we want.

Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same. Longer than always is a long, long time. He will be mine, far beyond forever.

AN: long chapter, I'm sorry!
If you had to pick a curse to deal with in the POTC universe, what would you pick?
I would pick the Aztec Gold curse. It seems like it would be the easiest to control, and immortality would not be the worst thing lmao