Disclaimer: This goes for the whole story. I don't own Jack, Anamaria, Gibbs or anything else to do with the film – so don't sue me! Kat and the other minor characters belong to me.

Author Note: Rated for violence, mild swearing and sexual references. This story contains action/adventure, occasional humour and touches of romance (because let's face it, Jack's not the lovey-dovey type and Kat isn't either). It's written in the third person, so even though most of the time the story is with Kat, there are times when you can see what Jack's thinking. Later chapters include Tortuga, the island and Norrington.

In the Southern Caribbean port of St Lucia, the rougher part of town was filled with the sound of drunken shouts and weak voices begging for food. A young woman marched confidently down one of the filthy streets, her cat-like eyes darting from left to right. Her face held an enigmatic look as she tilted her chin up and surveyed the drunken men that staggered down the alley towards her. She wore a tattered dress of deep purple which contrasted with her dark brown hair and was just long enough to hide the boots she wore. She hated to wear her hair up, so she wore it freely in thick wavy tresses down her back. Around her neck was a beautiful gold locket. The gleam of it was expensive, yet she hadn't stolen it. It had been her mother's and the only thing that was precious to her in the world.

Her appearance blended in with the people of the poorer side of the town, but she held a secret that none of them knew. It often stirred in her eyes and troubled her dreams, but she was too headstrong and proud to confide in anyone. Not even her friend, Mary, who she lived with. That reminded her that she had to get back. If she was going to get any money at all tonight, it would have to be now.

She didn't have to do much to seduce the next male passer-by she laid eyes on. Grabbing hold of his collar, she backed him up against the wall of the alley and pressed against him. She felt her stomach turn over in repulsion as his grimy hands groped her. Then, quick as a flash, she slid her hand into his pocket, pulled out his purse and jammed her knee up hard into him. As he doubled over, grunting with pain and cursing her, she ran away smiling with his bulging pouch of money in her hand.

She was surprised to find Mary in their shabby home when she got back. Mary was a very pretty and successful whore, usually out all night.

"What are you doing here?" she asked Mary, oblivious to the angry expression on her friend's face. She plonked down the bulging pouch of money on the table proudly. Mary pursed her lips and moved towards her with narrowed eyes.

"I know all about you – you're not a whore at all!" she shouted unexpectedly. "I bet you've never even been with a man before!"

Her cat-like eyes flashed back at Mary's grey ones. "What are you-?"

"Don't bother lying any more. I've heard about you now. You seduce men and steal whatever they have in their pockets. I'm out there all night, selling myself – having to put up with horrible men just using me for pleasure. I work hard to earn this money…and you! You're just a light-fingered thief! Don't deny it because everyone around here's starting to get suspicious."

"I bring home more than you without having to degrade myself. Most of the food we get is from my money. You should be grateful!"

Mary's eyes gleamed and she reached forward and snatched the pouch of money.

"That's mine!" the dark haired woman ran forward and there was a small scuffle. Hair was pulled, faces were scratched and the money spilled out all over the floor. The two women stopped and stared at the coins that lay scattered across the flagstone ground. With eyes as wild as wild animal, Mary was on her hands and knees at once, scooping up the coins and glaring up at her rival triumphantly.

The girl in the purple dress stayed still and standing, looking down at the blonde girl desperately grabbing fistfuls of silver and gold. Mary straightened up and their eyes locked once more.

"Get out." Mary hissed venomously. "I don't want you living here anymore. You can find your own way out on the street."

The girl in the purple dress stumbled out back out into the dark night as she was pushed from the door way by her only friend. The door slammed behind her and she found that again, she was alone in the world.

She walked back down towards the alley, peering into the distance in case she saw the man she had just stolen from. Her eyes closed briefly as panicked thoughts crossed her mind. Where would she go now? She looked over her shoulder apprehensively and when she turned back she felt herself collide with someone.

"Katrina. Been hiding from me have you?"

It was Daniel Carpenter, an obnoxious pest who was determined to have her. His hands gripped her waist tightly and she felt a surge of anger rise up inside her.

"Let go of me, you bastard!"

She pushed him in the chest with all her might, giving him an icy glare of contempt as he reeled backwards.

"Well now! That's not very lady-like is it? But then I suppose you're not really a lady are you? You're a whore."

She flinched at the sinister smile on his face and the mocking tone of his voice.

"I am not a whore!"

"Like mother, like daughter. The apple never falls far from the tree, Kat."

Katrina's fist shot forward, giving Daniel a hard punch in the nose. He cried out as blood began to drip from his nostrils and then stared at her in shock.

"What the hell did you do that for, you bitch?"

Katrina fixed him with a glare full of pure hatred until he turned to leave, holding his nose and swearing under his breath. Then she sighed and continued on her way, the only sound in the alley was her boots echoing on the damp ground. In the shadows of the dark place, someone shifted so that a shaft of light from the street lamps fell across their face. The band of light illuminated their liquid brown eyes as they watched the young woman walk past. It was Captain Jack Sparrow.

Katrina had started to make her way into the better side of St Lucia. She didn't know what she would do when she got there, but she figured that it was time to move on from that area. Now that Mary knew the truth about her, she wondered how many people were starting to get suspicious. Her fists clenched at the thought of the pouch of money Mary had taken from her. She really needed such an amount of money now that she was leaving. Still, she didn't regret her decision. She knew that she'd rather die than become a whore or be seen crawling on the floor like an animal for money.

Suddenly Kat stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening at the scene before her. Men, women and even some children were running towards her and screaming in terror. A loud boom echoed through the night and the shatter of glass could be heard.

"Cannon fire!" someone shouted in panic, their eyes bright with fear.

Katrina guessed at once what was happening. She grabbed a woman's arm and demanded urgently,

"Where are the pirates now? Are they headed this way?"

"They're across the other side of town, stealing from the rich. But some are coming now! There's hardly any time to spare, so let me go, I beg you!"

Katrina released her grip and turned back the way she came. Before she even had a chance to move, a huge cannon blast hit a building nearby. A loud creaking noise reached her ears and she looked up to see a large sign slowly falling forward. A man ran up beside her and she flung out an arm to restrain him.

"Look out!" she yelled and they both backed away as the heavy object crashed to the ground.

Too frightened to even thank Kat, the man started to run on his way once more. Behind her, Katrina heard the approaching ferocious yells and pistol shots. Turning in alarm, she saw the pirates running speedily towards her, waving their cutlasses and smashing windows. Kat began to run as fast as the wind, being the swift thief that she was. She felt the chain of the locket swing around her neck as she suddenly ducked into a corner and leant against the damp brick wall.

It was turning from a terrible night to a perfect night for Jack Sparrow. At first he couldn't believe that he had been captured again. It was definitely happening far too often these days. Last time the noose had actually been around his neck. This time, he had found himself in a cell yet again. If it hadn't been for the purse he had stolen earlier that day, he would probably still be in there. Instead of a dog with the keys, it was a dim-witted young man who only took the job because he was fascinated with pirates. All Jack had to do was casually tell of the time he was supposedly 'made chief' and then he had the whelp eating out of his hands. He told the boy that he had the makings of a fine pirate and that if he got Jack out, he could go wherever he wanted with the stolen purse of money. Thirsty for adventure, the boy agreed and both he and Jack left the prison and went their separate ways.

Jack at once went as far away from the British Royal Navy as possible down into the poorer side of St Lucia where there was no Norrington equivalent who wanted to hang him. He only hoped that his crew on the Black Pearl were somewhere near the port waiting for him. After skulking around the streets and watching a dark-haired strumpet give a guy a nosebleed in an alley, he decided to make his way back to the docks to see if his ship was anywhere near. But then he heard the cannon fire and decided to stay for a bit longer. He had missed the last port raid when he was locked up in Port Royal. So when he saw the pirates stealing all they could carry, he couldn't resist joining in. He did keep an eye out for his crew, but didn't see anyone. Eventually, his thoughts returned to the Pearl – what if they had fired at his ship too? As much as he wanted to stay and enjoy himself more, Jack started to make his way back to the docks.