I look at Barbossa, whose expression is stunned. He looks down and opens his jacket to reveal blood pouring from the gunshot wound. Jack lowers his gun slowly, not looking away. Barbossa's mouth smiles a little, his eyes widening.

"I feel . . . cold," he says.

He can feel.

The curse is lifted.

Barbossa's body hits the pile of gold behind him; a green apple rolls from his hand.

I turn around.

Barbossa is dead. The captain who took me hostage. The man I feared both night and day. The man who, seconds ago, was going to kill me. He's gone. I'm free. I'm free to go home to Port Royal. Home to Father. Home to . . . Commodore.

My breathing slows down to a normal pace.

I hear footsteps behind me. I turn. Will looks at me with triumphant eyes. I smile slightly and he does as well. He's coming closer . . .

Glass shatters behind us. Jack is inspecting the piles of gold and decorating himself with it.

You're engaged to the commodore now, Elizabeth. And besides—Will is a pirate now. No matter his intentions, what he has done brandishes him with the name pirate. He and I can never have a future together.

"We should return to the Dauntless," I say to him. He looks down.

"Your fiance will be wanting to know you are safe," he replies.

He knows?

The pain in his eyes is unbearable for me. I walk away from him without another word, regret consuming me. I walk towards the rowboat and begin to untie it. Jack climbs in first, wearing a rather large crown and many strings of pearls around his neck and shoulders. Will takes the oars and sits facing me, but not looking at me. I climb in last, staring at the back of Jack's head. He's sitting rather funny, his posture is down. I follow his gaze to where the Pearl was once anchored.

The Pearl is gone.

"I'm sorry, Jack," I say, and for the first time, I mean it.

"They done what's right by them. Can't expect more than that," he mutters. His voice is full of misery. With the Pearl gone, the only fate that awaits Jack is the noose.

When we board the Dauntless, Jack is immediately cast into the brig. I stay to see what becomes of Will's fate, but only after enduring my father's scolding for running away like I did.

"Elizabeth what were you thinking? You could have gotten yourself killed!" He rebukes me.

"I wouldn't have been in a much better position here," I reply, my eyes sweeping the deck of fallen officers. That was why the entire skeleton crew wasn't in the cave. They were attacking the Dauntless.

Will faces Commodore, who stands resolute before him, blood spattered across his uniform.

"Mr. Turner. You enlisted the help of a pirate whom you broke out of prison, commandeered a ship, and engaged in reckless behavior I should hope no other englishman ever dreams of. I hope you understand the moral gravity of what you have done," Commodore says.

"Yes, sir."

Commodore looks to my Father, who looks from Commodore to me. Father sighs, lets go of me, and steps forward toward Will.

"Very well. You are free to go."

Will's demeanor relaxes and he looks at me. I struggle to show no emotion, but from the accusation in Will's eyes, I know he understands I had something to do with this. A full pardon was hardly what he was expecting. Now I just have to fill out my part of the bargain.

The voyage home I spend in my father's cabin. The trip does not take long on the Dauntless. Mostly, I fear what awaits me back home. Jack's hanging, scheduled for the morning after we return. My marriage to Commodore, which, Father informed me, would most likely not be long after.

Mrs. Commodore Norrington.

It is the price I pay for Will's life. He is now free to continue his work as a blacksmith. And were it not for me, he would likely be in the same position Jack is in.

Poor Jack, I think. But I can't understand why I feel so awful for him. Perhaps it is because I saw him do everything in his power for the sake of once again being the rightful captain of the Black Pearl. I saw him do everything in his power to obtain his freedom once more. Now he has nothing.

A day's voyage and the twinkling lights of Port Royal appear in the distance. We arrive late in the night. I see nothing of Jack nor Will as my Father takes me quickly off the ship and rushes me into a carriage.

"Welcome back, Miss Swann," the driver tips his hat to me. His greeting catches me off guard.

Miss Swann?

The mansion has been repaired since the pirate attack. Estrella and Coralyn meet me at the door. They curtsey and I kiss my father goodnight.

"I'm so glad you're safe, Elizabeth," he says.

"I'm glad you are too." We part and I climb up to my room. It looks very welcome and I must say I'm grateful to see it.

Estrella fills a bath for me while Coralyn fills a bedpan with hot coals from the fireplace. The same bedpan I used to hit Pintel and Rigetti.

"I'm so happy to see you alive and well, Miss Swann," Estrella says.

"Thank you. I feel the same for you."

"Captured by pirates! How truly frightening."

"You have no idea," I mutter as she steps out. I take off my boots, trousers, my cotton shirt, and red jacket. I sink into the bathwater and breathe out slowly, allowing the water to relax my strained muscles.

Returning home to Father. The maids, the warmth, the bath. It's what I've longed for. But something feels wrong. Port Royal has not changed, but I have. My view of piracy has changed. My view of Will has changed. My view of Jack has changed.

I climb into bed a half an hour later, but I hardly close my eyes before dawn breaks.

And then the drums start.

I insist I will never another corset. Father does not press the matter. I choose to wear my gown with the white lace on the sleeves. Coralyn styles my hair beautifully and then helps me tie a hat around my chin. I don't forget to take my fan before I leave the house. I don't forget what happened at the last ceremony I attended.

Actually, I rather despise dressing up for such an event as this. Surely Jack did not sleep a single minute last night. I know how he feels. I wish things could be different, but they aren't. I see no way out of this.

The carriage takes Father and I to Fort Charles for the hanging. The fort is crowded with citizens of Port Royal. I suspect many do not even know who Jack is. Most stand in anticipation, children running and shouting excitedly. I've never felt such resentment towards social customs as I do this moment.

Father leads me to stand with Commodore Norrington, who greets me with a smile.

"You look lovely, Elizabeth," he says. I smile and nod but say nothing. Jack has been brought out. He looks stiff and rumpled, quite unlike the way he had looked on Isla de Muerta. The soldiers push him up the steps towards the noose.

"Jack Sparrow," someone reads off.

Captain Jack Sparrow, says a voice in my head.

"For your willful commission of crimes against the crown. Said crimes be in numerous quantity and sinister in nature. The most egregious of these will be cited herewith."

With every word, I feel increasingly edgy.

"Piracy. Smuggling . . ."

"This is wrong," I mumble.

"Commodore Norrington is bound by the law," Father says beside me. "As are we all."

The drums beat.

"Impersonating an officer of the Spanish Royal Navy. Impersonating a cleric of the church of England. Sailing under false colors, arson, kidnapping, looting, poaching, brigandage, pilfering, depravity, depredation, and general lawlessness."

There must be some way to stop this.

The drums beat mercilessly.

"And for these crimes you have been sentenced to be, on this day, hung by the neck until dead. May God have mercy on your soul."

"Governor Swann," says a voice from below us.

Will stands at the bottom of the stone steps, dressed in a new brown vest and a red cape tied around his shoulders. Two swords are secured in his belt. Upon his head is a rather large hat with a big, white feather. He looks very fine.

"Commodore," Will greets. "Elizabeth."

I meet his eyes.

"I should have told you every day from the moment I met you. I love you."

My heart stops.

He loves me.

With that, Will turns around and forces himself through the crowd. The drums speed up. The noose is placed around Jack's neck.

Will was wearing two swords.

All of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I spot a blue and yellow parrot take flight. I recognize that parrot.

Will is pushing his way to Jack. Commodore notices.

"Marines," he says.

"I can't breathe," I say quickly, and I fall to the ground.

"Elizabeth!" Father exclaims. I feel him and Commodore crouch beside me. I've momentarily distracted them, but I hear the drums pounding. There are screams from the crowd.

Father takes my fan and begins to fan me.

"Move!" A voice yells from the crowd.

"Come on, Elizabeth," Father says.

I sit up. The executioner pulls the lever and Jack falls to his death. Just in time, Will throws one of his swords and it shoots into the wood beneath Jack, allowing him to balance on it.

I look at my Father, whose eyes are full of confusion at my sudden awakening.

"What . . ." he mutters and trails off, suddenly realizing what I've done. He closes his eyes in shame. Commodore is quicker. He looks to his men and orders them on Will, whose is taking on the executioner.

Commodore pushes his way through the crowd of people, ordering them to move. Soldiers are running around the walls of Fort Charles to aid the commodore. Meanwhile, Will ducks as the executioner swings his ax. Will ducks and the ax slices through the rope that holds Jack. Will pushes the large executioner right onto Norrington and his men, who yell out in warning and fright.

Jack falls through the hole and cuts the rope that binds his hands with the sword that he was standing on a moment before. He runs out and throws Will his rope that was once his noose. They go running through the soldiers, throwing their balance out from underneath them and flipping them. They pull several soldiers towards a stone pillar with the rope and then squeeze them. The soldiers fall to the ground quite limp.

Losing sight of Jack and Will as they run across the fort, Father goes running down the steps and through the crowd. I follow him as quickly as I can, pushing through the people and somehow losing my hat, but slowly stumbling my way towards Will. He and Jack have been surrounded. The soldiers have their bayonets raised and ready. I rush up, eyeing the blade that Norrington points at Will's neck.

"On our return to Port Royal, I granted you clemency," Father is saying. "And this is how you thank me? By throwing in your lot with him? He's a pirate!"

Will's face looks determined and unashamed.

"And a good man," he counters, dropping his sword. "If all I have achieved is the hangman will earn two pairs of boots instead of one, so be it. At least my conscience will be clear."

Commodore takes a step towards Will.

"You forget your place, Turner," he says menacingly.

"It's right here," Will replies. "Between you and Jack."

Without a moment's hesitation, I walk forward. Past the soldiers, past my father, and past Commodore. My fingers slide through Will's.

"As is mine," I say. I look at Will, who looks at me with surprised eyes. My father looks horrified.

"Lower your weapons," Father orders the officers. "For goodness sake, put them down!"

The men do so reluctantly. My eyes go to Commodore Norrington, whose mouth moves up and down in hurt and confusion.

I'm sorry, James. But you are not my fate.

"So this is where your heart truly lies, then?" Commodore asks.

"It is," I respond. He looks down.

"Well!" Jack says from behind me. "I'm actually feeling rather good about this."

I look at Will, who is now holding my other hand.

"All this time?" He whispers. I nod. We don't look away from each other.

I took the medallion from you to save you from a pirate's fate. I agreed to marry Commodore to save your life. I freed the Pearl's crew to rescue you. I'll do whatever it takes to be with you.

"Elizabeth," says Jack from behind me. I tear my eyes away from Will's to look at the convicted pirate. Jack's expression appears to be full of sorrow and regret.

"It would never have worked between us, darling."

Is he . . . serious?

"I'm sorry," he mutters.

"Will," Jack turns to him. I suspect he would like to say a great deal of things, but he satisfies himself with: "Nice hat," and then runs up the stone steps of the battlement. The soldiers close in on him. I hold onto Will tightly. Jack backs up.

"Friends! This is the day that you will always remember as the day that—"

He runs into the battlement and falls over the side of the fort! We rush forward to peer into the sea.

Is he going to hit the rocks . . ?

He falls safely into the ocean below.

"Idiot," the lieutenant comments beside us. "He has nowhere to go but back to the noose."

Jack resurfaces down below.

"Sail ho!" Someone shouts in the distance. My jaw drops as a ghostly, black ship comes sailing into view.

The Black Pearl. They've come to rescue Jack. They hung the code, at last, and have come to save what they should never have left behind.

I suppose even pirates can redeem themselves.

"Mr. Turner," Commodore suddenly says.

What? No.

My fingers tighten instinctively around Will's hand. He turns to look at me.

"I will accept the consequences of my actions," he tells me. I let go of his hand with a heavy heart. He steps down to face Commodore, who brandishes his sword.

"This is a beautiful sword," Commodore says. "I would expect the man who made it to show the same care in every aspect of his life. My compliments."

"Thank you," Will says. Commodore Norrington lowers his sword and turns away.

Will is free.

"Oh, and Miss Swann," Commodore addresses me.

He called me Miss Swann.

"The very best of luck to you both." His smile is honest.

What a fine man you are, James.

If only he knew what this meant to me, and how sorry I feel that I cannot be what he wants.

"Commodore!" The lieutenant shouts. "What about Sparrow? Shall we prepare the Dauntless in pursuit?"

"Well, I think we can afford to give him one day's head start," Commodore Norrington smiles slightly. He walks away with his hands behind his back. The soldiers follow their commander back into the fort.

I look at Will.

"So," says Father. "This is the path you've chosen, is it? After all, he is a blacksmith."

I smile.

"No."

Will looks at me and I absorb the look in his eyes. I take off his hat.

"He's a pirate."

Will's hand finds my cheek and he tilts his head. I lean into him until our lips meet. I feel as though I've waited my whole life for this one moment. My eyes close. All I feel is Will and the breeze of the sea.

Jack has found his freedom.

Now I have found mine.

SEQUEL IN PROGRESS.