Yadadada, edited. Does anybody read these? Please review, makes me feel loved. Big thank you to everyone who added me to their story fav or alert list! Love -Han

She looked over the edge to see a large cascade of white water, stemming from a single point among the rocks. It was almost as someone had fallen in. As if on queue, a deep shout echoed from the fort and down to them.

"Elizabeth!"

That sounded like Commodore Norrington. Annabelle looked imploringly at the two Navy men, surely they would save her? While her and Elizabeth were by no means friends, she meant an awful lot to Will. And that was enough to want her saved.

And it wasn't as if they were enemies. It was just that the Swann girl had taken it personally when Annabelle refused to enter her household. Not only that, but as she grew into adulthood, Annabelle found it increasingly difficult to talk to anyone. Why? Simple. The breathtaking beauty and high status of Miss Swann over ruled anything she might want to say.

It didn't exactly help that James and her had become rather good (as good as Norrington could achieve) friends and all he ever talked about was her. Not that he would ever notice Annabelle. Just a peasant girl with a pretty face. No one looked twice at her when Elizabeth was in the room. Any suitors she had, had run for the Swann manor the moment Elizabeth had blossomed into adulthood. Not that she had wanted them. The only one she wanted was the one that confided in her that he was going to propose to Elizabeth.

It wasn't her fault she had fallen for James; he had been dashing and calm and centered. He did not push and pull like the sea, he simply was. Firm, unyielding, and strong. Exactly what she needed. He was stable while she was untamable. She had been taught that opposites attract and she supposed they were right. She felt she needed him to be her center. Needed him to keep her from flying too far away to be brought back.

All this passed through her head in a matter of moments while Jack pushed his effects into the Navy men's hands. He climbed the rigging and preformed the most graceful dive Annabelle had ever seen into the clear water. Not a moment after, a singular pulse ripped through the water, causing the three on deck to momentarily loose their footing. As one they looked towards the sky as the wind shifted violently and clouds appeared out of nowhere. A storm was rising.

They rushed onto the docks as 'Smith's' head appeared above water dragging Elizabeth in tow. He flopped her unceremoniously onto the deck and moved back slightly to catch his breath. Annabelle dropped beside her and looked frantically at the now sopping wet man.

"Give me your knife!" she insisted abruptly. He gave it to her, seeing what she would do. "Move!" she shouted to the blundering Marines before taking the dagger and slicing through the tightly laced corset. Immediately, Elizabeth's eyes flew open and she sputtered water onto the deck. Annabelle moved back and let Jack move forward to inspect her for injury.

His eyes found the medallion and he held it gently in his ringed hands. The gold was familiar. Scarily so. He knew without a doubt what it was. What he didn't know was why a noble woman had it. She wasn't cursed, or she wouldn't have been drowning. Had it been sent to her? Did she find it? Did she steal it?

"Where did you get that?" he asked, his voice colored with shock and confusion. She only looked frantically at him, but was saved from replying when a cold and demanding tone cut through the air as a sword was pointed at his throat.

"On your feet," James commanded. Jack did so, moving slowly as not to upset the Commodore. Best not to push his luck. He faced the man, feeling rather uncomfortable being so water-logged. His red bandana was soaked and his many trinkets and bones were sticking to his braids.

A huffing Governor arrived a moment later, staring blatantly at Murtogg, who held his daughters corset. He stiffened and pointed at Jack, who looked mildly offended at the accusation.

"Shoot him," Swann commanded.

"Actually, I was the one who ripped the corset," Annabelle spoke up from behind Jack. "She couldn't breathe at all with it on." Swann paused, not sure if he should command them to shoot her or commend them both for saving his daughter.

"Commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuer?" Elizabeth exclaimed, throwing off her fathers coat. Annabelle pinched the bridge of her nose. Her logic meant nothing in the face of the most beautiful half-naked noble woman in Port Royal. Jack, however, sent his prayer like thank you motion to her, not Elizabeth. He knew it was one thing to say not to shoot him, it was a complete other to offer to take the bullet yourself, which was what she did.

"I believe thanks are in order," Norrington said rather disappointedly, sheathing his sword and holding out his hand. Annabelle was discreetly shaking her head no to Jack, but he didn't listen. He hesitantly took the man's hand and found himself in vice-grip as his shirt sleeve was pushed out of the way to reveal his brand.

Annabelle winced at the sight of the raised skin, sure it was absolute hell to get. Her own scars pulled in sympathy. She had gotten used to it over the years, working in a smithy and all, but every now and then, her scars acted up. She never talked about them to Will, who only knew that she had gotten them while escaping the fast-sinking and aflame ship.

"Had a brush with the East India Trading Company, did we, pirate?" Norrington asked in his demeaning tone. Annabelle winced again, this time accompanied by Jack as the Governor amended his previous order.

"Hang him."

"Keep your guns on him men. Gillette! Fetch some irons." He pushed the sleeve up further to see a blue-inked tattoo of a sparrow flying over the sunset. "Well, well, well, Jack Sparrow isn't it?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please, sir," Jack responded with a viscous gleam in his eyes. The ship was still his. Even if Barbossa was at the helm. She would always be his.

"Well. I don't see your ship, Captain." Again the tone was demeaning and filled with contempt. Annabelle found herself shooting James a warning glance. He misjudged, however, and thought the glare was shot at Sparrow himself.

"I'm in the market, as it were," Jack replied, looking slightly down-trodden. Annabelle couldn't help a small smile form on her lips. Even in the face of death, he seemed to always have a reply.

"He said he'd come to commandeer one." Murtogg spoke up suddenly.

"Told ya he was tellin' the truth," Mullroy said lowly. "These are his, sir." He handed over Jacks' effects. The pirate gave a longing glance to his things, but was forced to watch as Norrington inspected them.

"No additional shot nor powder." Jack didn't need but one shot. And he would be sure it would find its target. "A compass that doesn't point north." Who ever really wants to find north anyway? "And I half expected it to be made out of wood," Norrington sneered. Annabelle blinked, unhappy with this side of the man she loved. She preferred him when they were alone. When he would call her by her name and her by his. They would discuss what ever they wanted, poetry, politics, theater. The only thing they never talked about was their pasts. And that was just fine by the both of them. "You are without a doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of," he finished with obvious contempt.

"But you have heard of me," Jack insisted with a dark glint in his chocolate eyes. Norrington grabbed him and pulled him further towards the shore so Gillette could fit him in irons.

"Commodore I really must protest!" Elizabeth shouted before Annabelle could say anything. She ignored the annoying woman and went back to watching the calculating look in Sparrow's eyes. He was planning something. And by the looks of it, Elizabeth's presence directly in front of him was exactly according to plan. She watched his eyes flit about his surroundings while the girl and Norrington argued and she was sure he took in every detail.

Suddenly his eyes were on hers and he sent her a knowing wink. She couldn't help the small grin that graced her lips as she saw it. This was definitely a man of many talents. Or perhaps it was only luck.

"One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness," James was saying.

"But it seems enough to condemn him," Annabelle and Jack spoke as one. Both shot the other curious glances that bordered on accusatory. Apparently they both though the line was quite witty.

James sent Annabelle a quick warning look, begging for her to be quiet as he replied. "Indeed."

"Finally," Jack whispered as Gillette moved away. He slung his chains over Elizabeth's neck and grinned devilishly at the Commodore. Clearly he could see the infatuation in his eyes regarding her, and he planned to exploit it. The Marines were ordered not to shoot as Jack positioned himself behind her.

"I knew you'd warm up to me. Commodore Norrington, my effects please! And my hat!" he demanded quickly. He liked his hat. It was his hat. There was never another hat like it and he needed it in his escape. The Commodore made no attempt to move so he tightened the chain by the barest inch. "Commodore!"

He grudgingly called for Jack's things, passing them to Elizabeth. One look of the perfect suave glint in Jack's eyes and Annabelle had seen enough. She didn't want to wait and watch another man fall under Elizabeth's spell. Annabelle began walking to the other side of the docks, intent on the smithy. She needed to work out her frustrations. At a curious and downright accusing glance of all four of the major players she shrugged.

"I'm not needed here," she informed them, as if they were small children. "Good luck Captain Sparrow, and please, do try not to hurt her," she called, waving goodbye.

Jack was slightly shell-shocked to say the least. Not only had she spoken up for him, she had wished him luck. And called him Captain to boot! She was defiantly an odd one, one that wouldn't leave Jack's head. He wanted to know more about her, which he found rarely happened when he was around people. It was only those that fascinated him greatly that he bothered wanting to know. And very few people could fascinate the great Captain Jack Sparrow.