- Chapter 19 -

Both galleons had reached near the center of the whirlpool, and the battle was almost done, yet still, the pirates on the Black Pearl had to solve a particular problem such as not to get drowned to death.

Olivia ran towards the quarterdeck to stand at Barbossa's side. The captain was struggling to keep hold of the wheel.

"She'll take us with her!" she shouted to him, peering through wet eyes as she was drenched from the heavy rain. "We need to do something with those masts!"

Barbossa thought for a moment, then, his blue eyes flashed down on the chainshot dangling from his belt.

"The chainshot!" he shouted to the brunette. "Take it!"

"What?"

"Jus' take it, woman!"

The brunette quickly took off the chainshot from the pirate's belt, then held it up in her hands with a questioning look on her face.

"Take it to master's Pintel and Ragetti!" ordered the pirate. "Tell 'em to shoot the mast!"

She nodded and went on her way to the gunners below deck. After handing over the chainshot to the two mentioned pirates, they only nodded to her to indicate that they'd handle everything. When she came out to go up deck again, she heard Barbossa shouting, "She's taking us down! Hurry, or it's the Locker for us all!" After that she heard a cannon fire.

She looked up to see the chainshot flying through the air and was making its way to the two masts that were still entwined. It was as if she was silently praying in her mind that it had to work, and she only got to let out the breath she didn't even realize she was holding when the Pearl was finally freed from the Dutchman.

Barbossa didn't hesitate to sail the Pearl away from the whirlpool and steered out towards starboard. When the sky cleared and the storm was finished, two figures were seen parachuting in the air and landed on the clear waters of the sea. The Pearl sailed just right where the two people landed and hauled them aboard. It was Jack and Elizabeth, and was also with Barbossa's capuchin monkey, but there was no sign of Will Turner.

Moments ago, Elizabeth and Will boarded the Dutchman, and seeing that only Elizabeth came back, and with Jack, it would seem to be that something went wrong aboard the ghostly ship.

"Where's Will?" asked the brunette, as she went over to the Pirate King.

"He's gone," replied Elizabeth, obviously fighting back a tear. Olivia was shocked but didn't comment on it. "Jones killed him. But before he died, Jack took his hand and Will stabbed Davy Jones' heart."

On the latter part that was said, Olivia's eyes widened, remembering a particular something that she knew about the curse of the captain of the Flying Dutchman.

She looked over to Jack, who was standing by the rails and was looking over to the Endeavor.

"Jack, the armada's still out there," said Gibbs to his captain, "the Endeavor's coming up hard to starboard, and I think it's time we embrace that oldest and noblest of pirate traditions." The old first mate was indicating his fingers to sail away.

"Never actually been one for a tradition," said Jack, causing Gibbs to be in shock.

"Close haul her!" Jack shouted. "Luff the sails and lay her in iron!"

"Belay that," countered Barbossa, coming up beside Jack, "or we'll be a sitting duck."

"Belay that 'belay that'," countered back Jack, only causing Barbossa to look confused.

'He must have lost the reamainin' parts o' his poor head back there!,' Barbossa thought to himself as he looked at Jack.

Still, Gibbs tried to interfere, as though he wanted to give some sense to his captain and old friend.

"But captain..."

"Belay!" But Jack wasn't going to listen.

"The armada.."

"Belay!"

"The Endeavor..."

"No! Stow! Stow!"

"But we..."

"Will you shut it!"

Finally, Gibbs gave up.

They waited there, as though waiting for something, as the Endeavor came approaching near. Barbossa, though still wasn't certain what Jack had in mind, gave his trust once again to the younger pirate. Moments later, the Dutchman resurfaced, but it wasn't Davy Jones at the helm, it was Will Turner, a bandanna on his head, and a cut on his chest.

"Ready on the guns!" ordered Captain Will Turner to his crew.

Jack flashed a toothed smile, having caught sight of Will. "Full canvass!" he shouted.

"Aye, full canvass!" agreed Barbossa, running towards for the helm.

As both the Flying Dutchman and the Black Pearl sailed forth to meet up the Endeavor, and with the EITC flagship coming in between, there was only one last thing to say...

"Cap'n!" said Gibbs, turning to Jack for an order.

"Fire," said Jack to the first mate in a lowered voice.

"FIRE!"

Guns were fired from either pirate ships, with the EITC governor left in frozen shock.

When the cannon shots seized, the Endeavor was blown into smithereens, the armada turned back for retreat, and that was the last of Cutler bloody Beckett. At last, the pirates have won the war.

Saying goodbye was a little harder than ever expected, but also a lot easier done at the same time. Since Will was the new captain of the Flying Dutchman, he had to ferry souls for ten years before he could be freed of the duty. And so, Elizabeth had to spend the day with her husband, and after that, she'd have to make a name of herself and a reputation being the Pirate King.

Jack had decided to celebrate in Tortuga, and Barbossa obviously was not leaving the Black Pearl. Olivia on the other hand, she had decided that perhaps it was about time to have a rest from a life of piracy and live a peaceful life. The kind of life that meant not being chased by the marines, not going to wars, and staying on land. She'd had enough adventure, and, she was rather expecting to spend that life with the man she loves.

Once Jack was off the ship and went looking for the company of his favorite wenches, Giselle and Scarlett, Barbossa made his second mutiny, making sure that Gibbs was left behind as well.

The Caspian Lord found something rather interesting on Sao Feng's charts - the fabled Fountain of Youth. Unfortunately, when he showed the charts to the men, the middle and most important part of the charts was cut off. Who else would have done that but Jack Sparrow himself.

Furious of the fact that Jack outwitted him, Barbossa turned the Pearl around for Tortuga once more, but Jack already left on the dinghy he left for the eccentric pirate. In the end, Barbossa came looking for Gibbs and persuaded the old sailor to come. Olivia didn't even have to know what kind of persuasion was done.

After everything else was settled, they sailed forth towards the island where Tia Dalma used to live. Olivia had decided to make the cottage there as her own home, as part of her retirement from piracy. Though she had some trouble with letting Barbossa agree with her to stay and not come with the hunt for the Fountain of Youth.

A few pirates stayed behind, as ordered by Barbossa to look after the brunette. Pintel and Ragetti was chosen and Marty decided to volunteer. Cotton on the other hand hesitated but volunteered too anyway.

"Ye certain you wouldn't want to come?" the Caspian Lord asked for a hundredth time.

"I'll pass this one," the brunette simply replied with a sweet smile.

"But this here is the Fountain of Youth, lass."

She shook her head. "Perhaps this is an adventure of a lifetime that's not destined for me to be in. You go along, with Jack. I know he's out there probably having a head start already."

He made a face to her as though saying that he still doesn't agree, but he nodded anyway to indicate that somehow, he understood.

"Them scurvy dogs be here fer yer company," he said, indicating the four who was to be left behind. "When I return, I'll have ye a glass from the Fountain, so you can have a drink yerself."

Immortality was an idea that never crossed Olivia's mind, but apparently, Barbossa wanted for to share the powers of the Fountain with her. Although she was quite aware that in every pirate's dream, immortality is the ultimate treasure of all, but she would have none of it. So she shook her head, not surprised from the disappointed look on Barbossa's face.

"But..." the pirate tried to say, but she stopped his words by placing a careful finger to his lips.

"I'm sorry, Hector," she said in a soft voice. "But immortality is not for me."

They both fell silent after a few moments, but Olivia didn't want to make their parting this way. So she opened her mouth to speak again.

"Hector, my love, look at me." She tilted his head to look into his eyes. "When you find the Fountain, it is your decision whether or not you drink from it. But I don't know if that is the life I wanted for myself. That never crossed my mind."

For a moment, he only looked at her, until he took her hand and placed it to his face.

"I'll bring a glass either way," he said, "in case ye change yer mind."

There was nothing more to be said, and so she only smiled to him.

"Um, before you leave," she said, taking his hand and slowly leading him deeper into the house. "Suppose we...well, we don't know when you'll be back, and we'll be missing each other, so..."

When she trailed off, bit her lip, and looked up to him rather shyly, Barbossa got the message. He immediately turned to the few pirates that were inside the house with them and ordered them to leave.

"'Tis best ye wait fer a while outside, lads. Give us a little private time."

With a smirk on his face, as soon as they were alone, Barbossa wrapped an arm around Olivia's waist and they both went into the room.

Eight months later...

Marty and Cotton went to find woods to cook dinner, while Ragetti sets up the ingredients, since he was the appointed cook ever since they settled there. Pintel on the other hand, he seemed to have noticed the brunette, once again looking outside the window, brushing her fingers through her hair unconsciously. He knows that at that state she was thinking, about Barbossa, about the future, about their future.

He slowly approached her and made certain that she become aware of his presence. She turned her head suddenly and saw him, and flashed him a brief and warm smile. After he returned the smile, she turned her attention back to outside the window. When Pintel got close enough to be standing next to her, he cleared his throat to ask.

"You thinkin' of 'im?"

She smiled once again and replied without looking to him, "I couldn't help it. Especially now, at my current condition."

The balding pirate nodded, setting his gaze out the window as well, but wasn't looking at anything in particular. "Will it be alright when it comes?"

"I don't know," she shook her head. "But at least we have Ragetti."

A playful smirk appeared on Pintel's face. "Yeah. He'd have to do it." A snigger followed after.

No matter how long it would have to take to find the Fountain of Youth, Olivia will wait for her love. And he would have to come back to her. He has to. He must. For if he does not, she doesn't know how to face the future. He had to live. He had to return to him alive.

Slowly, she ran a hand towards her swelling stomach, her thoughts suddenly turned to the precious thing inside her.

She wanted her baby to grow up knowing a father, so he'd have to return to not just her anymore, but to them. For them...

A month later...

"Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!"

Olivia made one last push, giving all she had in that push, and moments later, the room was filled with a loud crying of a baby.

With that, she collapsed back on the bed, breathing heavily, her brunette hair around her face and on the pillow. A small hand then pushed back the few strands of hair on her face, when she looked up it was Marty, smiling down on her.

"It's a boy, miss," she heard Ragetti say.

When she lifted her head from the pillow again, Cotton's hand came right under her head to help her up. There she saw the little thing, wrapped up in a white blanket that was stained with blood, in the arms of Pintel, as she stretched out her arms to have her son. Yes, her son. Their son.

As she sat up and carried the little thing in her arms, how she wished that he was there. How she wished that he could see their boy right now. He had her nose, but she waited for him to open those eyes. When he did, the silent tears that were already falling from her eyes flowed out even more. He had his father's eyes. Those blue, piercing eyes.

Cotton's parrot, who was perched at a nearby swing, then squawked out, "Name the babe! Aaawk! Name the babe!"

"He's right," agreed Marty. "What will you name 'im?"

Wiping her tears away with one hand, she thought about it for a moment.

Yes, what indeed? What's a fitting name for the son of the Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea? She thought about it for a moment, looking down on her little angel. She certainly didn't want a junior. Mostly that would end up having a 'the third'. She doesn't want it to be like the Turners. But, after a while, having the name of the man she loves in mind, her smile widened and looked up to the company she had with her in the room.

"Victor," she said to them. "I'll name him Victor. What do you think?"

The four men looked at each other, sharing nods of agreement. That was enough for her, they need not say more, as she once again looked down on the little thing she was still carrying in her arms.

"My little Victor, don't worry. Your father isn't here yet, but he'll come," she told him. "You'll see him. And he'll see you."

Somewhere in the Caribbean Sea, aboard the Black Pearl...

Making his way through the deck and among busy deckhands, Gibbs climbed up to the quarterdeck, having found a rather troubled captain, from the looks on Barbossa's face.

"Sir?"

Barbossa blinked his eyes once and turned his head to the old first mate, looking slightly surprised.

"Everythin' is in order," Gibbs managed to say. "There be anythin' else you'd have us do?"

The old captain shook his head. "No. That'll be all, Mister Gibbs."

Although he nodded, Gibbs wasn't ready to walk off. "You seemed troubled, sir. Perhaps I could help?"

There was a frown on Barbossa's brows, and he didn't look up when he replied. "Jus' this feelin' 'bout somethin'...I don't know."

At this, Gibbs smiled. "She must be thinkin' of yah again."

Finally, a smile, no matter how small, had appeared on Barbossa's face. "Could be."

- The End -