Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean belongs to Disney and Gore Verbinski. Captain Cinders is mine. Lines that are paraphrased or directly quoted from the movie will be in italics.

Chapter 10: Home fires

Barbossa's eyes widened and he felt a sickening feeling heavier than any seasickness in the pit of his stomach. Then a white-hot rage stirred in his blood. Jones then attacked Elizabeth. Will tried to stop it and Jones stabbed him. As the younger man lay dying, Barbossa grabbed Jones' heart from Jack and had Will stab the heart.

Jones watched in horror as he felt the life seeping from his body. "That was for Lucinda, ye blackguard!" Barbossa growled. As Jones staggered back, Barbossa pushed him over the edge and Davy Jones was swallowed up by the sea as he plummeted into the whirlpool.

Barbossa looked over he shoulder to see the Dutchman's crew surrounding Will and Jack dragging Elizabeth back to the Pearl. "Come on, man. There's nothing more we can do here!" Jack argued. Barbossa had not yet recovered his speech. "She's gone," Jack attempted to persuade the other pirate.

As the other two left, Barbossa looked over the edge where Lucinda had fallen. "It's my fault. Well, I'll join ya in the locker then," he decided, preparing to jump into the sea.

Just then he heard someone clamber up the stares from the lower deck. Then he heard irritated muttering: "I'm goin' ta ring his inky neck. When I get my hands on that son of a kraken, I'm goin' ta send his one legged arse overboard!" the voice fumed.

He could only stare in disbelief as Lucinda came onto the deck. She raised an eyebrow at the way he was looking at her. "Whatever's the matter, Hector? Ya look like ya've seen a bloomin' ghost. This ship's goin' down fast and we have ta leave now if we don't want ta be at the bottom of the ocean," she told him, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him over to one of the lines.

They swung over to the Pearl and even as they landed, he continued to stare at her. "You were dead," he finally said.

She turned her head and looked him in the eyes. "Ya've finally gone daft as Jack," she surmised.

He shook his head. "I saw ya go overboard."

Comprehension washed over her face. "Yes, but thanks ta my sword, I never hit water. I went backward, yes, but my sword went first with me holdin' onto it and stuck into the wood just below me. I swung in through one of the cannon holes, yanked my sword out of the wood, and ran back to the deck, where ya saw me again."

He had hold of her upper arms. "I should've told you about Calypso from the beginning. It's my fault that Jones almost killed you," he expressed.

She saw the genuine sincerity in his eyes. "But ya stepped in for me. We're both here now, and I don't plan ta be headin' back ta the Locker any time soon," she relayed.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her close and she rested her hands on his chest. They rested their foreheads together for a moment and he whispered, "I'm sorry."

"I know," she answered, "and it's alright."

His lips met hers in a passionate kiss. Both had been waiting for this moment and she had a tight hold of his shirt as she deepened the kiss. They continued to seek solace in each other and kiss hungrily, unaware of the Dutchman's popping back up out of the water with Will as its captain, oblivious to the decimation that Beckett's ship received from the other two, and unaware of the retreat of the Royal Navy.

When they finally separated, Jack spoke. "You two should just make it official and me done with it."

Barbossa grinned and looked warmly at Lucinda. "What do ya say?"

"Yes," she told him with the same grin. Then she crossed her arms. "But I refuse ta be married by Jack Sparrow."

The other man chuckled and looked over at Elizabeth. "Perhaps our other captain'll do the the honors?"

"Gladly," Elizabeth replied with a nod, walking over to the wheel. "Hector Barbossa, do you take Lucinda Tavish to be your wife for richer or poor, in sickness and in health, health being the less likely, for as long as you both shall live?"

His eyes focused on Lucinda as he said, "I do."

Elizabeth continued. "And do you, Lucinda, promise the same?"

Lucinda grinned back at him. "I do."

"Very well. I would say 'you may kiss,' but you've already done a spectacular job of that," she paused as everyone chuckled, "so you may kiss once."

They kissed only briefly and then walked over to Elizabeth. "It's been an honor knowin' ya," Lucinda relayed.

Elizabeth surprised Lucinda by pulling her into a hug. "As it has been for me, Mrs. Barbossa," she whispered to the other woman.

"Yer boat's ready, Mrs. Turner," Barbossa relayed.

They left Elizabeth on the island where Will stayed with her until sundown. The Pearl headed to Tortuga, followed by Chevalle's ship. The late Captain's crew wanted Lucinda as their captain and were willing to follow her wherever she was planning to go next. For the destination, she headed over to the Pearl, knowing that Barbossa had a few ideas.

The crew felt uncomfortable about leaving Jack behind again and requested to see a map. Barbossa began to unroll it and as he held up the map, he groaned noticing that someone had cut out the middle of it. "Sparrow," he grumbled.

"I didn't trust him, so it's a good thing I made a copy," Lucinda remarked, holding up a sketch.

A grin of relief came over Barbossa's face. "Excellent. Now I'll just be takin' that and-"

She smirked and stepped back with the map. "Not so fast, Hector. My map, I lead," she told him.

"Yes, dear," he stated through gritted teeth.

Reaching out to touch his face, she said, "Oh, now don't be lookin' so glum. Chevalle's ship has better food. Yer joinin' me fer dinner, and maybe even some good French wine."

Having backed her up against the railing, he kissed her soundly. "I like that plan," he relayed.

The two parted and Lucinda glanced back as she led Chevalle's ship out into the sea. "The heading is due north, Captain Barbossa," she called to him.

He smirked, knowing what sort of answer she was anticipating. "And it'll also be east, Captain Barbossa," he replied, smiling at the spark of adventure he could see on her face as she looked back at him and then turned her gaze on the horizon.

Fin...

("Hm... hm... hm... hm... hm... and really bad eggs, drink up, me hardies, yo ho! This story was so much fun to write. I am grateful for your reviews and I hope ya've all been enjoyin' this voyage as much as I have. My thanks to Imaolorotf, Olivegreeneyes, Moony, for reviewing :D)