Catalina's POV

Barbossa looks out to sea, toward the islet.

"Hah. Look there. That's the very same island we made Jack governor of on our last trip. When you sail the open sea as long as I, you learn to trust the signs fate sends your way."

Gibbs sighs dejected, "Amen to that ..."

I glare at him making him freeze.

Barbossa makes his way over to us, "Jack, Elizabeth, Enchantress... I'm a man of my word and you're to be set free, right quick."

He turns to the crew and shouts loudly, "Men, break out the plank!"

A cheer goes up from the pirates. Will realizes what Barbossa intends to do, struggles with captors.

"No! You gave your word!"

Barbossa snaps angrily, "Quite, boy, or you'll lose your tongue. Those as know me know I wouldn't cross my word, and bring down bad luck on the ship.
I agreed to set them free. I didn't say when ... nor where."

The Black Pearl lies at anchor, closer now to the island. Elizabeth, wrists still bound, stands in the classic 'walking the plank' pose. Jack is next in line. Then me. Pirates crowd the ship's rail to watch.

Will and Elizabeth exchange helpless looks; there is nothing they can do.

"The lady's first. But first, I'll be wanting that dress back, if you please."

Elizabeth hesitates... then strips it off, leaving her in a silk slip. Barbossa's crew whistle and mock as they stare at her. She throws the dress at Barbossa.

"Here-- it will go well with your blackheart!"

Barbossa indicates the plank. Elizabeth stands on the edge looking down.

"I will not walk into the ocean. You'll have to throw me in!"

Barbossa raises an eyebrow, grins, and nods then looks over at his crew.

"Too slow!" A pirate yells as he kicks the plank.

She looses her balance and falls into the water with a scream. Will sighs in relief as he sees her head pop out of the water. She yells in anger then starts to swim to the island. Barbossa laughs and turns to Jack.

"It's pure evil to make a Captain walk the plank of his own ship, twice in one lifetime. No good can come of it."

"Now, Jack.  That reef is less than a league distant.  It's a square deal all around, and you can't hope for better."

Jack scoffs, "Someone needs to cut these bonds, then."

"You'd best take a swim, Jack."

Barbossa smiles, shows a pistol and points it at me. Jack tenses then looks into my eyes. His hard gaze softens as he turns to the plank.

"The last time you did this, you left me a pistol, with one shot."

The pirates mutter agreement.

Pintel nods, "That's proper, sir, according to the code."

If he wasn't on the bad side I probably would've liked him.

Barbossa sighs, "By the powers, you're right!"

He turns around, "Where be Jack's pistol? Bring it forward!"

Jack pouts, "A gentleman might give us three pistols, seeing as there are three of us, this time."

A pirate hands Jack's pistol to Barbossa.

"Tell you what. I'll give you one pistol, two bullets, and let you be the gentleman, and shoot the lady then Enchantress, and starve to death yourself!"

The pirates laugh. Barbossa tosses Jack the pistol-- but over his head, and down into the water with a splash. Jack wastes no time and plunges down into the water.

I worry as I see him sink deeper and deeper.

Barbossa frowns, "Pity witty Jack seemed to get out of everything. Guess not this time."

He turns to me with a smile, "It be your turn Enchantress. Unless you would like to stay aboard."

I look over at the crew who all shake their heads at me. Will gives a stern no with his face and then nods over to the plank.

"I'd rather choke on my own vomit."

Stepping up to the plank, I look down at the water. I know how to swim but I never thought I would be kicked off a ship.

"We could've had a joyous time Enchantress. You lure men with just a look and put on such a stone cold act but on the inside we all know there's a scared little girl."

I hold up my middle finger behind my back. The crew laugh in amusement.

"I would if you stayed." Barbossa replies making me gag.

Without hesitation, I jump off the plank and into the cold water. Looking down I spot Jack below, now sinking and struggling. I swim down and untie his bonds.

Swimming up for the surface, Jack swims the
other way, further down into the depths. I frown and try to stay afloat waiting for him. Suddenly after a minute, Jack appears sucking in air. He shows what he went after: his pistol. He tucks it into his shirt as he starts to swim towards the island.

"You went back for that? You idiot! You could've died."

"You'd love that wouldn't you?"

I freeze and stare at the back of his head. Not hearing a reply Jack stops and turns to look at me.

"No I wouldn't actually."

I start swimming last him ignoring his calls and pleas. We finally get to the island. I walk to trees and fall into the sand exhausted. Jack plops beside me. The Black Pearl is already underway; he stares at it.

"That's the second time I've had to watch that man sail away with my ship."

I look over at him sadly as he starts to dismantle his pistol. He dries off each part the best he can then puts it back together.

Glancing over I see Elizabeth's feet prints in the
sand... and then meet up with matching footprints she seemed to make earlier, going in the same direction. She has walked all the way around the island.

She plops beside Jack with a sigh.

"Not as big as it seems is it?"

"Has it changed since the last time you were here?"

"The trees are taller. Views are better."

Feeling eyes on me, I glance over to meet Jack's eyes. My cheeks heat up making me quickly look away.

I've definitely gone soft.

"I hope you have no intention of using that." Elizabeth says as she stares at the pistol in Jack's hand.

He shoves it in his belt, walks off, "Not yet.  Ask me again in a few weeks."

"Captain Sparrow! We have to get off this island-- immediately!"

Elizabeth follows him angrily making me set off after both of them.

We catch up with Jack to find him climbing up toward a clump of palm trees. I watch in amusement as Jack jumps up and down across the sand. He stops and falls to his knees, digging for something beneath the sand. After a moment, he finds it: a large iron ring.

"What is that?  Is there a boat under there?"

Elizabeth claps her hands together. She is really starting to annoy me. Trying to ignore her, I watch as Jack heaves the trap door up and over, revealing a pit. Inside are barrels and bottles of rum... all covered with dust and cobwebs, long abandoned. Jack's face falls.

"What? What's wrong? How will this help us get off the island?"

Jack pays her no mind as she goes on and on. "It won't. It won't, and so we won't."

He jumps down into the pit, cracks open a bottle of rum, takes a swig.

I want about ten different emotions fly across Elizabeth's face, "But... you did it before! Last time--"

Jack glances at her and then looks at me with a frown, "Last time, I was here a grand total of three days.  Last time, the rumrunners who used this island as a cache came by, and I bartered passage off.  But from the looks of this, they've been out of business, and so that won't be happening again."

He holds the bottle up to his mouth and takes another swig, "We probably have your friend Norrington to thank for that."

Elizabeth scoffs, "So that's it? That's the secret grand adventure of the infamous Jack Sparrow? You spent three days on the beach drinking rum?"

"Welcome to the Caribbean, love."

He gathers up a few bottles, grabs my hand leaving Elizabeth with her mouth open and heads for the beach.