Jack's mood was particularly foul the following morning. He barely spoke, making only small monosyllabic grunts instead of his usual salty wit. But as the small company drew near to the docks, he became increasingly agitated and vocal in his frustration. His temper was so terrible that he sent a small boy running in tears to his sweet looking, plump mother who swore, red faced, like a sailor at their retreating heels.

Trouble was, Sparrow had never particularly liked partnerships. He was used to working alone, relying only on his cleverness and smooth tongue to get by. But now he was in a situation where cooperation was his only escape and he didn't like it one bit.

He had come off somewhat worse for wear from a "small tiff" with a government schooner. Actually, worse for wear was a bit of an understatement. He was ashamed to admit that his ship, along with the better part of his crew, had gone down in a rather glorious blaze. He had managed to escape, barely, along with Turner and his respective Mrs. He was now shipless and virtually crewless; and on top of it all, to worm his way out he'd needed to negotiate with this Beth. He was loath to do so.

He and Beth had quite the history, and not in a good way. His and Beth's mothers had been very close. The two women had often attempted to put their children in each other's company, convinced they were the best of playmates. They couldn't have been more wrong. Jack would subject the girl to all sorts of cruel jokes and teasing, though he maintained that it was nothing more than "good natured joshing". The girl would in turn run home to her mother, and Jack suspected this was the source of many of the unexplained beatings he received by way of his father's belt strap.

And yet as she got older, something changed. And in Jack's opinion, it changed for the worse. Whereas before he could send her home, sobbing, she now took to sticking to him like glue. She would clamber over fences and across rooftops as Jack tried desperately to leave her behind. At the end of the day, her mother would tear her away from his side, dress torn, knobby knees scabbed and stained with grass. It became impossible for Jack to get away from her. He never could get away from her. Even when her parents shipped her off to boarding school in an attempt to break her of her "vile, unruly behavior", she ran away to become a maid at the inn above his favorite pub. It was like she had become his own personal shadow. He thought he had left her behind when he stowed away on a merchant vessel, and became even more sure when he found himself caught up in a mutiny against the captain. But after a few years of blissful, self indulgent freedom, rumors began to spread of a "Lady Pirate" with golden hair. He disregarded them, thinking surely there must be other rebellious young women in the immediate area, and continued to swindle, cheat, and murder his way into becoming captain of the legendary Black Pearl. Until the day he saw her, aimlessly walking the streets in Tortuga. She had certainly grown, and there was a woman's sway to her step, accentuated by the clanking of her sword on its belt. But there was no mistaking those wide, innocent blue eyes. Eyes that should never belong to a pirate. Seething and sick to his stomach, he left port still the rumors grew. Of how this woman had become first mate of a Captain Edwards. And later, of how Edwards had been found dead in his quarters, leaving her as captain of his clipper ship, La Reigna. And it was only six months later that Jack had spotted her flag flying through his glass on the open ocean. The circumstances were right, La Reigna heavy with plunder from a nearby port, his crew restless from a long, quiet couple of weeks at sea, their pockets empty.

His intention had been to blast the living hell out of her ship. The reverse occurred, ending with a sinking of his beloved Black Pearl and a shipless captain Jack, which now that he thought on it, was ironic. Nevertheless, it made his blood boil. The Pearl. This whiny brat had sunk his beloved Pearl! In his desperation, Jack turned to Davy Jones to raise her from her watery grave. Everything that followed; his debt, the Locker... Every misfortune that had come his way since birth, even his own father's belt leather, could be traced back to that angelic face, those wide, innocent blue eyes... The sound of his teeth grinding was enough to give him a headache.

They had not crossed paths since, which suited him fine. Needless to say he was not fond of the girl. And now he found himself at her mercy. Yet there she was, offering to lend him her own ship in his time of need. He didn't buy it for one moment.

True enough, she had let him remain the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow, and had offered to serve under him as a part of the crew. But that alone was suspicious. She had let him keep the Turner boy as his first mate as well. Jack sighed. He would just have to ride it out. And when the time came, he would flee. Find a new crew, a new ship, and remain the ever-elusive Captain Jack Sparrow. He was fond of Turner, insofar as he found the boy amusing and posed little real threat. And any crew was… useful. But not worth enough to incur any real emotion or guilt at the though of leaving them behind. His skin was worth theirs ten times over-

"Jack?"

"Mmm?" He looked up. The other two had come to a halt, staring at him. "What?"

"You were muttering under your breath." Will eyed him with concern.

"And fascinating as it must be, get on with it. We've not got all day."

Will slowed his pace and fell into step with the darkly glowering captain. "Jack? Are you alright?"

Jack grunted and crossed his arms.

"Is it the girl? Beth?"

There was no reply.

"I see." Will raised his eyebrows slightly.

Jack turned on him sharply. "Not like that, lad, not at all. It's all far more unpleasant than that. Lets just say she and I are old childhood… friends." His eyes narrowed, frown deepening to a scowl. "Now, there'll be no more talk of this Beth so I suggest you bloody let it alone!"

Jack stormed past, shouldering the boy roughly aside, but Will stayed where he was, taken aback by Sparrow's dark tone.

Elizabeth took his hand and pressed close as she walked, staring after the ill-tempered Captain. "I've never seen him like this. Its like being around a completely different person…" She looked up at him imploringly. "Will?" He shook his head and kissed her distractedly, bending to her ear. "Later." He whispered. "When we're alone and out of the earshot of old Jack."