Disclaimer: Disney owns all characters from PotC. I own my computer.

On to Chapter 4, sorry it's a little short! Wow! There are a LOT of PotC fics! What do I have to do to get people to read MY humble one? Geez.

Thank you's:

ScarlettArrow: Thank you so much, my faithful reader! Thank you VERY much for your supportive reviews! I really can't say how much I appreciate them! Enjoy Chapter 4!

Silver Magiccraft: I'm glad you read it and liked it! Keep reading and I'll keep writing! Heh.

ElfPilot: I'm so glad you like the story (as well as my subtle Mary-Sue bashing)! Positive reviews like that are what keep me writing! Thanks very much!

~SE

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Sam wasn't entirely sure how long she had been down in the brig. She had long since ripped off the dirty scarf that the pirates had used to gag her, and used it to dab some of the scraped blood off her face.

She had wondered, but none too worriedly, about Edward and his whereabouts, and about her parents and their home in Port Smith. And lastly she had thought about Captain Jack Sparrow. He was certainly unlike any pirate she had ever met. Actually, she had never a pirate until a little while ago, but even with that first encounter she was sure he was different from all the rest.

She could tell he was a good man. It was an odd thing to realize, after Jack had sent his men to rob and wreck her town, kidnapped her and ordered her locked in the brig. Samantha wondered dimly if she was going slightly insane from all the knocking about her head had done due to the rolling waves. Here she was, thinking a perfectly handsome, respectable and rich man like Edward was repulsive, vile and irritating, whereas she thought a vicious pirate was a good man.

"But that doesn't mean I can't hate him," Sam muttered, pulling her skirts closer to her and wiping her sweating brow. She had given up trying to keep her dress clean. In the brig, it was no use at all; the hem was caked and gritty with dirt and water and was beginning to fray. She was never going to forgive Jack for this, never. A ship's jail was no place for a lady.

The ship gave another deep plunge, and Samantha was nearly unseated again, but managed to keep her balance by clinging hard to the bars of her cell.

From overhead she heard a distant cry of "All hands on deck!" Samantha crossed her arms. She had always wondered what life would be like on a ship like the Black Pearl, and she had always fantasized it to be quite adventurous. Of course, she would be one of the first to agree that a ship wasn't exactly the most proper place for a lady of her stature, but as long as she just dreamed about it, the whole idea seemed quite romantic, in a sea-faring sort of way.

But now, her musings being a reality, she couldn't believe she had ever wanted to live on a boat. The constant rolling and dipping made her stomach churn and every once in a while she had to close her eyes and swallow hard to keep herself from repeating what Edward had done on deck.

But still, Samantha thought, if I must be on here, I would at least like to be able to breathe fresh air instead of being in this prison.

There was no comfortable way to lie down in the brig. Her cell was barely large enough to house her, she couldn't imagine what it would be like if one of the huge pirates was sent down here. Whichever way she tried to lie down or lean against a wall, her head bumped and banged against hard wood, and her back ached from trying to lie flat on the rough surface.

After a long while she heard footsteps. Sitting up quickly and promptly hitting her head against the bars again as the ship gave a heave; Sam gave a loud shout of pain. A pirate stepped before her cell, leering coldly at her.

"Comfortable?" he asked menacingly.

"Not particularly," Samantha groaned, clutching her head.

"Perhaps Miss Kane would prefer to be home in her large house with her own room," the pirate said, grinning toothily at her.

"Of course not," Samantha said bitterly, forcing herself to remain calm, "Why would anyone want to be sleeping in a soft bed instead of this lovely place." Something skittered across Sam's lap and she screamed.

"Roach, Miss Kane," the pirate told her with a cold laugh, "Every ship 'as 'em."

"How perfect," Samantha said disgustedly.

"I came down 'ere to give you dinner," the pirate said shortly. For the first time, Samantha noticed he was holding a plate.

"I thought I was going to be let out of here!" Samantha cried desperately.

"The Cap'n didn' give no orders for you to be let out jus' yet," the pirate told her, grinning, "He reckons we should keep you down here as long as we can."

"Your captain is a bloody fool," Samantha muttered before she could stop herself. The pirate before her frowned then glared.

"If you ever want to be allowed to come up," he said icily, "Insultin' the Cap'n ain't the way to do it." And with that said, he pushed the plate into her cell and left.

Samantha stared after him until he was gone, then looked at her dinner. From the looks of it, anything the pirates had taken from Port Smith was left off of her plate. Her meal consisted of very hard bread, and that was about it.

Grudgingly, Samantha forced herself to eat. The bread was rock hard and didn't go down well. Every time she swallowed, a tear made its way down her face. When she was finally done, she cried herself to sleep.

The days passed in this fashion for a little while, always the same routine. A different pirate brought her meals every day and she learned not to snap at them or throw any harsh words around. If they were reporting back to their Captain, it wouldn't do to be rash in her words if she ever wanted to be let out.

With this realization, she actually grew to learn a few of their names and sometimes even have small conversations about life on a ship. As hard as she tried to realize that these were vicious pirates who had taken her prisoner, she couldn't help but be fascinated when they told her stories about storms at sea and the places they had traveled to.

Samantha always laughed as she thought about what her parents would say about her associating with men of this nature. But she didn't care anymore. The more she got to know them, the less scornful they were towards her. A few days had even passed where none of them had mentioned how bad it was to have a woman on board. She grew to like the talks she had through the bars with them, since the rest of her days were spent sitting in her cell listening to the distant rumble of waves and wishing she could actually see them.

There was Mitts, who swore he could knock any man out with a single punch, Storms, who had acquired his name due to the huge amount of hurricanes he had guided ships through. There was Jasper, who told Samantha thrilling tales of all the treasure the Black Pearl crew had stolen since Jack became captain, and Rumson, who could consume more rum than three men and still not get drunk.

But her favorite was Griggs, then man who had spoken against her the very first day she had been on the ship. He showed her his sword and dagger proudly, and boasted about the real silver and gold that was laid into the handle. He had even let Samantha hold his dagger once. He taught her a song one day that he said he sang whenever he started to tire of life on a ship.

"Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho. Yo ho, yo ho a pirate's life for me…" Samantha hummed one day after Griggs had brought her lunch.

As she sat there, knees up to her torso once again, she heard footsteps and looked around. Someone had just brought her afternoon meal; it wasn't time for anyone else to come down yet!

Squinting through the murk, Samantha saw Griggs approaching her cell.

"Griggs!" she cried happily, "To what occasion do I owe this unexpected visit?"

"Miss Kane, the Cap'n requests you come on deck," Griggs told her cheerfully, jingling a ring of keys in his hand.

Samantha sat up quickly. "Oh, finally!" she said, smiling a little, "I'd thought the Captain forgot about me."

Griggs unlocked the door to her cell and Samantha stooped, stepped out and stretched. She had not been able to stand fully upright since being thrown into her prison. Her back and neck ached quite a bit, and it was rather hard to stay upright. The rolling of the ship seemed to have increased by her standing up. Her legs gave way beneath her and Griggs put out a strong arm and caught her.

Before Samantha could say anything else, he was speaking in a low voice.

"Miss Kane," he said seriously, "I feel the need to warn ye, not everyone up there is goin' to take a likin' to ya like we 'ave," he said, meaning the ones she had gotten to know over her meals.

"Some of 'em still think ye shouldn't be 'ere and will be actin' cold," he continued, "So just be on yer guard, is all I'm sayin'."

Samantha nodded. Somehow she had not thought about that.

Quivering slightly, Samantha followed Griggs up the ladders that led to the deck.

As the first blast of salty air hit her, Samantha closed her eyes and breathed in. Never had air smelled so sweet. It was midday, and the high afternoon sun was high overhead, bathing everything in its warm glow. Pirates were scattered here and there on the deck, some mending torn sails, others sweeping or scrubbing the deck.

Suddenly Jack appeared before her, looking just the same as the day she had last seen him. Samantha was abruptly reminded of how awful she must look. She obviously hadn't been able to wash or comb her hair for days and the red locks were hanging limp and stringy around her face, which had hardened blood and scabs clinging to it from the scrape. Her face and arms were smudged and browned with dirt and her blue dress had turned a dismal gray.

Jack stood before her, hands casually on his hips, bottle in hand. Samantha glanced at it. Rum, definitely rum.

"I see you've decided to come out," Jack said, smiling.

"I would have, long before this," Samantha said coldly, "If you had given the order."

"But it's just so much more fun for me if I make you wait, love" he said, grinning at her, than taking a swig from his bottle.

"You're despicable," Samantha muttered, hating every little thing about him from that half smile to his swaggering strut. She couldn't see for the life of her that she had thought him to be a good man.

"'S'not the firs' time I been told that, love, and it won't be the last," Jack said happily, ringed fingers clinking against the glass flask.

Samantha watched him for a moment, and then gave a start. She had just remembered something.

"Where is Edward?"

Jack peered at her through the sun. "Thought you said he wasn't your husband," he grunted.

"He isn't," Sam said shortly, "But does that mean I can't inquire as to where on earth he's gone?"

"Course not, love!" Jack shouted joyously, flinging up his arms, "You can ask all you want! Just don't expect answers every time you do."

"Do I have the honor of one this time?" Samantha asked impatiently.

"Of course," Jack said quickly, then after a few seconds and with a sly grin, "not."

"Honestly!" Samantha cried, clearly seeing the smirk on Jack's face and knowing he was gaining pleasure with every second of torture he put her through, "Can you ever give me a straight answer?"

"Depends on what kind of mood I'm in," Jack said airily, motioning with a flourish at the surrounding crew who were still going about their tasks. "See them? If they've been givin' me a 'ard time, I'll be in a bad mood, and not goin' to be in a right state to answer meddlin' questions from the likes of ye. Buuuuut," he said, lingering on the word, "If they've been doin' what me tells them and gettin' everything goin' fine, then I'll be in a good mood and fit to answer whatever you like!"

"So they've been giving you a hard time this morning?" Samantha ventured slowly.

Jack looked around with a glare at them all, then turned to Samantha and a grin broke out over his roguish face. "Nope," he told her.

"Then why won't you answer my question?!" Samantha shouted, absolutely confused and irritated.

"You see, lass," Jack said quietly, hands and body swaying with the motion of the ship, "That little explanation I just gave ye would make perfect sense if it came from someone else. But you're forgetting one very important thing, love, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. I don't live by anyone's rules." He grinned wickedly at her. "Not even me own."

Samantha groaned audibly as Jack walked away from her, mischief all over his face. She crossed her arms and leaned against a nearby railing. Griggs came up to her and took hold of her arm.

"Come with me, lass," he said, "I want ye to meet someone."