I'd like to thank my lovely reviewers!

Nytd: Thanks for the really helpful review! As you already now, I am glad to accept any and all advice.

Smithy: You'll find out the relation between Magdalena and Ana today. :)

ChaosAndMayhem: I tried to make sure I got Jack's habits down and didn't mess up and get him out of character, so your comment means a lot to me! I hope you enjoy this chapter.

J.L. Dexter: Thanks so much for the well wishes. I really hope that there will be a new surge in the J/A category.

And last but not least, I need to thank my absolutely lovely beta. Squeaky, you are so incredible! I'd probably be making mistakes left and right and end up with a half-assed story without you.

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Is something amiss, ma'am?"

Ana looked from the man to the letter, and then back. Finally, she voiced her question, almost to herself.

"Who the hell is Magdalena?"

The poor man could only stare at her, most likely thinking he had done something wrong. But before the worker could voice his apologies and check for another box under the name of Anamaria Torres, she stopped him.

"Never mind. Here, take this." Ana pressed her palm into his and pretended not to see his shocked face upon finding two shiny coins in the palm of his hand. She simply turned back to the door and returned his smile when he called his thanks to her.

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As soon as Ana had made her way to one of the quieter streets of Tortuga, she sat down on a barrel and looked at the envelope, her fingers running tentatively up and down the flap. She bit the side of her lip, lost in thought. Ana didn't know who Magdalena was, but maybe..maybe she was an aunt, or maybe a grandmother searching for her.

This thought gave Ana new hope. Perhaps she hadn't been completely forgotten after all.

Still chewing upon her lip, Ana moved her hand from where it had been clutching her brown britches and placed the edge of her fingernail underneath the envelope's flap.

The scent of rum bombarded her before she could even get around to lifting the now ripped opening of the envelope.

"What have you got there?" She could feel wiry hairs and beads pressed against her cheek. Then, her precious letter was taken from her grasp. It was all Ana could do from cocking her pistol and pointing it right between his eyes.

"Goddammit Jack!" Ana got up and spun around so quickly it almost dizzied her. "What in Calypso's name do you think you're doin'?"

He was about to open the envelope but stopped in mid action upon hearing her immense anger. Jack looked at her, his black eyes taunting her, despite the fact that the rest of him was frozen stiff with what must be fear.

Ana knew this game very well. They had played it several times in attempts to force secrets out of each other. It was something they'd done to each other ever since they met. But there was no point to it anyway. Either she told him what was inside the envelope, or he would find out himself.

Jack moved again, this time opening the flap of the envelope without so much as glancing at Anamaria.

But Anamaria was not in a playful mood. Deciding to go with her first thought, she pulled her pistol out of its holster and thumbed the hammer. This was too important to mess around with. He had no right to go sticking his nose into her business.

This time, Jack reflexively moved out of the range of the pistol. Then, his eyes flashed with something akin to hurt before he grasped the pistol, pulled it from Ana, and put it back into the holster placed at her hip. Ana was almost uncomfortable with the lack of space between them. Almost.

"Best be making sure you respect the captain." Jack's eyes narrowed and Ana could feel the tension in his words. Jack pushed the envelope back into the palm of her hand, his eyes scanning her visage intently.

Pushing the pirate off, Ana stomped angrily to the nearest tavern, wishing she had shot the man right then and there. Jack made a step as if to follow her, then stopped and decided against it. Ana's nostrils flared angrily. The arrogant ass! Talking about respect when he was about to go looking through her mail! The woman began to breathe normally again as she pushed open the heavy wooden doors.

Jack is a good captain. Quick, daring, and fair with his crew. But he is an intolerable man!

Anamaria took in her surroundings, soaking in the boisterous crowd that had gathered near the bar. The room was dimly lit, and in the shape of a long rectangle. She pushed her way through the prostitutes and drunks, willing herself not to breathe through her nose.

Suddenly though, her breathing was cut short when she sucked in what was, admittedly, a rather girlish gasp. She could feel an arm wrapping itself around her waist from behind, the thumb running circles on her belly. Grimacing at the unwanted touch, Ana shook her body, making her way out of the grasp of what turned out to be a disgusting man with what looked like drool spilling over his lower lip.

The fiend was trying to feel her through the white blouse she had on, groping blindly up and down her sides. Ana responded to this by curling her upper lip in disgust, reminded of the last day she spent as a maid at the plantation. When these terrible memories struck her, Ana found herself half wishing that Jack had actually followed her into this hellhole of a bar.

Now that the drunk's arms were fastening around her again, Ana wiggled in another attempt to make some distance between herself and the gross and filthy man.

"Hey now, missy." The drunk began "It's a lot easier if you just stay still." He let out what was supposed to be a seductive growl, but only succeeded in making his gut shake against her body. Having come to the peak of annoyance, Anamaria swiftly brought her rather bony knee up to the man's intimates, recieving a very foul word in response. Backhanding him hard enough to draw some blood, the pirate saved just enough time to pull her cocked pistol from her holster. As she pointed it square between the grisly man's eyes, Ana thought to herself that she was getting awful tired of these situations. She only had so much gunpowder left, after all.

The drunkard looked up at her again, his blue eyes flashing dangerously despite the weapon at his forehead. Still, the man had no time to act, the tavern's owner grabbing him by the arm.

In a storm of motion, the sympathetic barmaid berated, scolded and then swiftly kicked the drunk out of her tavern, warning him not to show his face in her bar again. Ana bade him good riddance with a smirk on her lips.

Turning again to the now quiet tavern, Ana lamented that her supposed day off was more eventful than she ever would have hoped. On that note, Ana hoped with all of her heart that she wouldn't see Jack for the rest of the day. Or any more drunks, for that matter. Honestly, if she never had to come back to Tortuga gain, it wouldn't be so bad.

The pirate brushed her hair away from her face and looked for the seat farthest from the noise of the patrons in the bar. Her dark eyes settled on a booth, and she made her way once again through the crowd. Maybe some rum and a little quiet would finally get her to relax

Sitting in the corner table of the tavern, amusingly titled Queen Anne's Head, she once again took a look at the now crumpled envelope. Now was the time to read the letter.

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After ordering a mug of grog from the heavy barmaid, and taking a gulp from the burning liquid, she slid out the letter from the envelope Jack had been so kind to open for her. Ana hesitated in unfolding the paper, but curiosity got the better of her.

Written in a heavy black ink that left thick dots where periods should be, was this letter:

Dear Anamaria,

This letter may seem a nuisance to you, as I've been told not to bother you several times by family members who tell me of your successful work aboard a fishing ship. Still, I cannot help but think of you as I suffer in my current situation.

With my parents having returned to Spain in order to attempt to restore our previous financial situation, I've been put into the care of your cousin, Jonathan Torres. In his custody, each day is a nightmare. I tend to his every whim, and bend at his very will. Taken from the life of the daughter of a hardworking man, I am now my uncle's servant.

The rest of my family may not know this, but I am well aware of your escape from the plantation of Mister Scott.

Because of my entire family's precarious financial state, the Scotts have taken advantage of our weakness, and Jonathan is regrettably set to sell me to the Scott family soon. I fear of what will become of my life should this negotiation become realized. You know better than I that the life of a servant is no life at all.

So I ask you, as family, to take me out of the custody of Jonathan. I do not know you, and you definitely do not know me, but we both know what will happen to me in the next weeks.

Show me your mercy and love.

Sincerely,

Magdalena A. Torres

Anamaria could feel the headache begin to hammer her head. A worker on a fishing boat, huh? Her family must have been ashamed of what she'd become.

But they had no real clue of what she was now. She was working under perhaps the most wanted, most intelligent pirate in all of the Caribbean, laboring all day on the legend that was the Black Pearl.

But still, all that accounted for nothing. A pirate was a pirate.

Ana crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it into the darkest corner she could find. Slumping over the table, she began to think. This girl was obviously related to her, if she was the neice of her cousin. But, Magdalena must be of a higher status than Ana was, to be able to write like that..But if that was the case, then why was she being made into a servant?

Oh, of course. Money couldn't make up for your family tree. Ana felt her jaw clench, angry at the unfairness her family still suffered.

Taking another sip of her grog, Ana was divided. She had half a mind to leave that letter in that corner and forget about it. She was able to escape the plantation all by herself, so should this Magdalena! But still..the life of a servant truly was no life at all. And if this was the only reason family would contact her, then she certainly wouldn't pass it up.

But how to get around Jack? Ana grumbled to herself, knowing well that her captain would refuse to take part in the escapade. Her mind blank, she stared at the empty pewter mug in her hands. Then, a wicked though struck her in the head like lightning.

Jack wouldn't want to take part in the plan. Unless of course, Jack didn't know what exactly they were doing.

She may not be as quick as Jack, but Ana was still clever alright.

Ordering another mug of grog, Anamaria smiled to herself, suddenly feeling the playfulness that escaped her earlier that day. Determination hardened her dark face.

Time for a new game, Captain Jack.

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