Jack entered the John Brown's blacksmith shop, looking around cautiously. His eyes stopped at a hammer and he grabbed it, hitting at his manacles desperately and failing to get the desired result. They simply would not break, damn them!
"Try the forge's cogwheels. Worked for me once," came a calm voice from above, making Jack freeze.
He slowly looked up and saw a woman, book in hand, on leg hanging off the edge of the ceiling.
"It did?" he asked and she raised an eyebrow.
"It did," she confirmed, "but I must warn you that you are due to get caught again. You will not get out of the bay. Not from Commodore Norrington."
She averted her attention back to her book, too assured with her prediction to be concerned about the intruder. She winced when the smell of burned flesh reached her and looked down at the poor donkey.
The door opened and Will came in, closing it behind him. He spotted the drunken mister Brown in the corner. "Right where I left you."
His eye caught the misplaced hammer. "Not where I left you," he said under his breath, reaching for the new object; a hat.
"Will!" Adelaide warned, just as a blade dropped onto his hand then got pointed at him.
"You're the one they are hunting. The pirate," he said and Jack frowned, regarding Will.
"You look familiar... have I ever threatened you before?" Jack asked.
"I've made a point of avoiding familiarity with pirates," Will answered through gritted teeth.
"Will..." she started warningly.
"Ah. Then it would be a shame to put a black mark on your record. So if you'll excuse me ..." Jack said, ready to leave but the blade pointed at him stopping him.
"Will!" Adelaide gasped. What was he doing?!
"Do you think this wise, boy? Crossing blades with a pirate?" he asked and Will lifted his sword challengingly.
"Will! Let him go. Leave it to those who it concerns," she said but was ignored by both men.
"You threatened Miss Swan," Will answered and Jack ran his blade against his.
"Only a little," Jack replied and instantly moved into a series of attacks. Will blocked them all successfully.
"You know what you're doing, I'll give you that ... Excellent form ... But how's your footwork? If I step here," Jack said, Will following his steps, "Very good! Now if I step again. Ta!"
Jack sheathed his sword and made way to the door just as Adelaide gasped in horror. Will's sword dug into the door inches away from his head.
"That's a good trick. Except, once again, you are between me and the way out. And now you have no weapon," Jack said and Will took a sword with a sizzling hot tip. Jack's smirked was wiped from his face and they began to parry again.
Adelaide rolled her eyes but did not climb down, not wanting to get involved and get cut in the process. It wasn't until her father smashed a bottle against Jack's head that the fight stopped.
"That ratter broke my bottle," Brown muttered as the door was kicked open and a swamp of soldiers rushed in.
"Excellent work, Mister Brown. You've aided in the capture of a dangerous fugitive," praised Norrington and Mister Brown shrugged.
"Just doing my civic duty, sir," he answered as Adelaide rushed to his side and supported his swaying body.
"Father, are you alright?" she asked with concern.
"I believe you will always remember this as the day Captain Jack Sparrow almost escaped. Take him away," Norrington ordered and Jack's lifeless body was dragged away.
"Do not look so down. There will come a day when your efforts would be appreciated rightly," Adelaide told Will as she helped her drunken father sit down, sighing as he instantly fell asleep again, "I forgot what he is like when not drunk..."
She turned back at Will and smiled. "I hope you are not going to take Sir Anderson's order to him looking like that... Although I am sure his daughter will be delighted to see you even like that," she said and Will shook his head.
"Please stop doing that or I will feel obliged to do the same to you concerning the baker's son," he said and Adelaide raised her hands in surrender.
"I surrender... should I pass anything on to Miss Swan anything?" she asked.
"You are leaving already?"
"Yes. I was only released to check upon father while Governor Swan was away. There will be a lot of commotion in the governor's house following today's incident," she said, "I will defiantly be needed."
"Tell Miss Swan that... never mind, " Will said and Adelaide mentally called him a simpleton. Could he not see that miss Swan returned his attraction?
"In that case see you in the evening," she said and walked towards the door, closing it soundlessly behind her.