Disclaimer: Nope, don't own any piratey stuff.

AN: It's snowing today, unfortunately, so I have loads of time to do this update for you. Hope you enjoy, and thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter!

Chapter Four: The Day You Almost Caught…

Still horrified, Lorelai stood in the center of the room for a moment more before following Norrington and his men downstairs. They had returned to her father's study, and were apparently awaiting her return. After a few seconds in which she sat down roughly in a chair, Norrington addressed Lorelai and her father.

"We were unable to find Captain Sparrow, and therefore must continue our efforts to apprehend him elsewhere. It is my hope, Mr. Peters, Miss Peters, that another occasion will not arise when I must see you in such circumstances. You are both such well respected members of our community." His voice turned suddenly acid. "But do not forget, you are both- and especially you Miss Peters, under our careful observation."

Lorelai sat silently, still shocked from Jack's sudden disappearing act. He couldn't leave! This was bloody important! Her father, on the other hand, was outraged at Norrington's treatment of his daughter. He stood, leaning heavily on the cane, but still a tall and imposing figure.

"You will kindly leave my home now, Commodore. I won't have you accusing my only daughter of crimes like some common beggar." His voice was as acid as Norrington's, slightly muffled by his clenched teeth.

"At any rate," Norrington said coolly, "we are done here. Come along gentlemen."

The group retreated smartly, and Martin returned to his chair, sitting down wearily. He looked over at Lorelai, an unhealthy pale cast under her normally olive-tan skin. His white eyebrows came together, creating wrinkles along his eyes and temples, and he leaned forward towards Lorelai.

"Lor? What's the matter with you?"

Lorelai jerked in her chair as though coming out of a daze. "He's gone. I left him hiding in my wardrobe, and Norrington opened it, and he wasn't there. Dad, after all this time we have the chance and-"

Martin held up a hand to silence her. "He can't be gone. Where would he go?"

"Well, he bally well isn't where I left him!" Lorelai snapped.

Her father didn't flinch. His daughter had always been remarkably short tempered, and he was used to sharp words from her. "Come on then," he said, getting to his feet. "Let's go look for him. I'll do down here, you go upstairs."

They parted ways at the foot of the staircase, and Lor hurried up the winding stairs. She burst into the first room at a near jog, but Jack wasn't there. The next room was the same, and the next. It was like searching with Norrington all over again. She finally returned to her own bedroom. Still no sign of Jack. Lorelai stepped behind the screen to look, and the grating sound of her window opening snapped her to attention. She rounded the screen just in time to see Jack make an awkward leap from the branches of the oak outside her window onto her bed. He bounced off with unexpected grace and landed on his feet on the circular carpet.

Lorelai stared at him. "What were you doing?"

"Staying away from bloody Norrington. Your hiding place didn't turn out so great, now did it?"

She gave him a chilly look. "Well, excuse me, If you'd had a better idea at the time, you should have suggested it."

"Ah, you're mistaken there. You see," Jack waved a graceful finger at her and tapped it briefly on his nose, "If you'd known the plan, you'd have been looking out the window the whole time. Trust me, I have experience with this sort of thing."

Lorelai considered his statement, then nodded. "Well, they've all gone now, so my father will be waiting to speak with you."

They found Martin in the library, peering under the writing desk. He smiled briefly. "Glad to see you didn't venture too far, Captain." All three returned to the study. Lorelai waited until her father and the pirate had found their seats, but remained standing herself.

"Can I get you a drink Captain? Dad?"

"Sherry for me," Martin answered.

Jack grinned. "Rum."

She left them for a few minutes, and returned with a polished tray, which she sat down on the side table. With a trained grace, she handed a glass to her father and poured from one of the decanters the tray held. She gave Jack a second glass and filled it, somewhat of a novelty in his opinion, rum usually came straight from the bottle. Lorelai blinked when he finished it straight off, but silently poured him another. It was disappearing quickly as well.

"Help yourself if you'd like any more, Captain," she said, suppressing a smile. She picked up the slim glass of ice tea that the tray held, splashed a bit of the rum into it, and sat down next to Jack on the sofa, both of them facing her father. Martin cleared his throat and pushed back a piece of his hair that was falling over his forehead. Jack could see the same ring Lorelai wore on her index finger on his right hand as well.

"I didn't send my daughter to find you solely on a whim, Captain Sparrow." His tone was grave, and Jack took a sip of his rum and studied the old man's face. "As you know, my friend Bart Mason and I built the Black Pearl when we were just starting our business. In fact, she was the first ship we ever sold. But do you know where her name came from?" Jack shook his head. "The money that funded the Pearl came from Bart's father, originally a Barbary pirate, who came to the Caribbean. He was dying when we built the Pearl. On his last day alive, we had just finished the ship, and he went onboard to see her. In his will, he wrote to Bart, telling him that he had hidden a map to a treasure from his younger days somewhere on the ship. He called her the finest ship he'd ever seen. And he left Bart a necklace of black pearls that he said came from that very treasure."

Jack was stunned. There had been a map, on his ship, right under his nose, for the better part of thirty years, and he had never known. He finished off his rum and poured another glass quickly as Martin finished his story.

"Bart never married, and he gave the pearls to my second wife. They're Lorelai's now."

Jack's eye caught her hand move to her throat, and turned sharply to look at her. Her neck had been covered by a cape at the port, and he hadn't been paying attention until now. A strand of pure black pearls was double looped around her neck, resting just on her collarbone. Lorelai's fingers remained self-consciously on them for a moment, and dropped away. Jack turned back to Martin, and asked the obvious question.

"So, where's the map?"

AN: Oh hey plot development! So...leave a review if you're enjoying this!