NOTE: THIS INCORPORATES PARTS OF AWE, BUT DAVY JONES IS STILL ALIVE, WILL NEVER GOT STABBED, BUT BECKETT IS DEAD. WILL AND ELIZABETH NEVER GOT MARRIED.

Fandom: Pirates of the Caribbean

Ship: Jack / Elizabeth

Rating: T ( may change later ).

"I convene this the fourth Brethren Court!" Captain Elizabeth Swann yelled over the commotion, echoing Barbossa's words from what seemed like years ago, though it had been only months. Since the end of the war against Beckett a lot had changed. Will no longer stood alongside pirates, instead opting to return to land, to make a life in London. She knew what her decision would be before Will even asked her to join him, and she thought he did too. Elizabeth couldn't leave the sea. Despite its perils, it made her feel the most free she had felt in her life. She wouldn't give that up. The break hurt her less than she had expected, though she still felt an ache when she realised she might not see Will again.

However the victory of the war came with casualties. Many. Over the past few years there had been a massive decline in the amount of pirates on the seas, even less that would seemingly make good captains in the future. Many of the Brethren had made their concern on the matter clear, leading Elizabeth no option but to call a meeting of the court.

The noise died down and Elizabeth stepped forward at the head of the table. Lining the sides of the table were the other eight pirate lords, who looked at her in scrutiny, all equally wondering what she proposed to do about their situation. It had taken her a few days of solid thinking spent in her cabin on the Empress, but she had indeed chosen what they had to do, even if it meant sacrificing her own wants. She longed to be free, and she still would be, just not in the same way.

"It has come to my attention that there are no longer pirates roaming every sea at any one time. No longer do we come into frequent contact with other ships. No longer do we have numbers on our side. In other words, the lack of young pirates is becoming a problem. The victory over Beckett was a close call, and we need to see that it will not happen again in our generation or the next." she explained, looking around the pirate lords as she spoke.

"And what do you propose we do Captain Swann?" Jocard asked, "How do we resolve this problem?"

Elizabeth smiled smugly, knowing the oncoming effect on the pirates because of what she was about to say.

"I propose..." she glanced around.

"We have children."

At once the room burst into an uproar. Pirate lords stood up, some yelling, some shooting people, some slamming their fists down on the table in disagreement. Elizabeth had tried to think of another way they could create worthy pirates through and through. Despite her amusement at their reaction, it infuriated her that they would be so against something that could end up saving pirates from extinction.

She had had enough.

"Shut it!" she screeched, feeling her face go red with exertion, then chuckling to herself at the shocked look on Jack's look from beside her. At her smile his face returned to the smirk she had seen often when they had first met.

"Bit loud love." he snickered.

The crowd hushed again at Elizabeth's shout.

"I am the pirate king, and you will listen to me! And listen well."

She sighed.

"I have evaluated every possible choice that we have, and this seems the most reasonable. Unless you would rather have yourselves killed out by the royal navy, I suggest you all comply. If anyone has a problem with my proposal, say now."

Despite feeling that half of the people in the room still thought the idea was the most ridiculous thing they had heard, Elizabeth was met with silence. She smiled and nodded her head.

"Excellent. Of course, due to the lack of female pirate, not all of the men will be required, therefore some of you will get away unscathed." she laughed dryly. She turned to Jack.

"Jack."

"Yes?" he asked uncertainly, swallowing.

"I'll be needing your hat." she replied, smirking.

"Why can't you use your own?" he sighed. "Fine."

Elizabeth took Jacks hat from him and pulled a handful of parchment pieces, each with a name written on them. Depositing them into Jack's upturned hat, she looked around the pirates.

"I will put all of the men's names into this hat, and the names of the women into my own."

With that she pulled out another, smaller handful of parchment and put them into her hat, which she placed on the table beside Jack's. At Elizabeth's signal, Gibbs opened the door, and a small group of a dozen women entered the room.

"These are the women who are taking part in this. I will also be taking part, to aid the situation. These pieces of parchment are folded up, so it is complete chance as to who you are paired with. I will have no commotion over who is chosen, this is final."

The pirates muttered in agreement, looking almost nervous at the thought that they may have to become fathers. Elizabeth would have laughed, had the situation not been so serious. She only hoped that she wouldn't be paired with some rancid brute.

Elizabeth dipped her hand into her own hat and plucked out a name. Then one from Jack's.

"Emily, you will be paired with Captain Jocard. Step forward." she called over to the group of women by the door. A brunette emerged from the crowd. Elizabeth looked over to Jocard, who nodded in approval. How male, she thought. Emily walked forward to stand by Jocard's chair.

"Okay, our next pair." she took out two more pieces.

"Anamaria, you will be paired with Ragetti." she read out.

Two down, eleven to go.

She picked out yet another pair of names. Upon opening the first, she turned to smirk at the man on her right.

"Jack." she watched the colour drain from Jack's face. How would Jack cope with being a father? Elizabeth thought.

"You will be paired with..."

She opened the second piece of parchment.

Her throat went dry.

"Elizabeth Swann."

A/N: Please review and follow this story if you like it. Reviews are what make me update, they give me a sort of boost. So every review gets this story a little closer to completion! Stay tuned for the next chapter soon!