Slumbering Storm

Ginny slipped out of her room and shut the door behind her quietly. Estrella bustled along the landing but stopped when she spotted Ginny. "Do you need anything, Miss Stormmare?"

Ginny smiled. "No, Estrella. Just off for a walk in the garden. I can't sleep." The lie came easily.

Estrella's smile was sympathetic. "Yes, I'm sure seeing Jack Sparrow was quite terrifying."

Ginny felt the color drain from her face. "Pardon?"

"Well, Miss Swann is exhausted, of course, but you witnessed the whole thing! The infamous pirate, Jack Sparrow… What a horrible experience!" Estrella placed a hand over her heart.

Ginny relaxed. Of course Estrella knew nothing of Ginny's past with Jack. Why would she? "Oh. Yes, it was a most trying experience. I'm afraid I'll have nightmares for weeks. I can only imagine how Elizabeth feels."

Estrella simpered and patted Ginny's arm in comfort. Ginny snuck past Estrella and down the stairs. The foyer was empty, but Ginny paused by the door to peer down the hallway, in the direction of Governor Swann's study. The study door stood ajar, but no candlelight filtered out, which suggested that Governor Swann was not in his study. Ginny presumed that Weatherby must be at Fort Charles with Commodore Norrington. Ginny nearly leaped out of her skin when she heard a male voice behind her.

"Out for a midnight stroll, Miss Stormmare?" Franklin, the kindly old butler, asked.

Ginny looked at him, giving him a sheepish grin. "I can't sleep."

Franklin returned her smile. "Be careful out there, my dear. It sounds as if a storm is coming."

Ginny frowned, hearing distant booming. She nodded and slipped outside after gracing Franklin with a parting nod. The night air's coolness sucked the breath from her lungs. She gathered up her skirt and worked her way downhill, frowning at the sky as the distant thundering continued. The night sky was quite clear, yet it sounded as if thunder chased nonexistent lightning. As Ginny headed toward the fort, her heartbeat intensified until it felt as though her heart flung itself against her ribs and reverberated through her bloodstream. She could feel the thud of her heart in her veins, down to her fingertips. Even her head echoed her heart's erratic thumping. Her blood felt as though lightning fried it, making her heartbeats rather painful.

What the bloody hell am I doing? What will I say to him? Would he even care? God, I must be the biggest fool on this Earth…

I can't just let him die.

But what will I do, free him from jail? I can't do that.

He didn't even try to save me when we were children!

Well, he was just a child…

Still, he abandoned me. He promised he never would. He promised.

Why am I doing this? What am I even doing?

I still care for him.

"Fuck," Ginny muttered under her breath. She stopped in her tracks when the booming sounded far closer. She looked toward the sky, confused. It was still clear. A loud bang at the fort jerked Ginny's attention to it, where chunks of stone exploded and flew through the air. Shouts of soldiers about return fire caused Ginny to move into view of the bay. The ghostly silhouette of an obsidian ship floated in the water, illuminated every few seconds by the light of cannon fire. A flash told her that the ship had just fired another shot at the fort. It hit just above her, sending heaps of stone crashing down to where she stood.

"Fuck!" Ginny cried, diving out of the way. She landed beside a bush and cradled her head. Bits of rock pelted her back and her knuckles. She felt the ground shake beneath her as more cannons fired at Port Royal. Ginny's heart fluttered wildly, like a panicked bird trying to escape a gilded cage. She focused on controlling her breathing to keep calm. She couldn't just lie here next to the fort. She needed cover. Getting to her feet, she stumbled when cannon fire shook the ground again. She used a nearby tree for support, as her legs trembled. Fire raced through her veins, chasing off the fear. Yelling from the shore caught her attention, so she squinted. The attackers were coming ashore. Ginny took off at a sprint, staggering as hunks of stone fell around her from the fort. She hurried toward the jail, shielding herself from debris. A group of attackers seemed to be heading in her direction. Ginny charged into the jail, which was to her right. She hurried down the steps and turned toward the cells, breathing heavily.

Jack Sparrow's cell was the first one at the bottom of the steps. The cell next to his was vacant, with a large hole in the back wall, big enough for a man to crawl through. Ginny figured that the previous occupants had escaped, thanks to the cannons and their extensive damage. Jack looked at her, irritation sparkling in his eyes. "You scared the dog off." he muttered.

Ginny glanced down the hall, still trying to catch her breath. "He never would've come to you."

Jack shrugged. "Did me good to try."

Ginny huffed. "Sorry."

Jack peered up at her. "You were at the docks today."

Ginny nodded. "Yes," she said, stepping closer to his cell.

"You have a name, love?" Jack prompted.

"I'm… I'm Ginny."

Jack frowned and drew back slightly, as if Ginny had uttered something offensive. "Short for Jennifer, perhaps?"

"No."

Jack poked his cheek with his tongue when Ginny failed to elaborate. Ginny thought she saw a flicker of fear in Jack's eyes, but he masked it before she could decipher what she saw. Yelling at the top of the stairs caused both of them to stiffen. A Navy man fell to the bottom of the stairs, just behind Ginny. She looked at him and her blood froze. The man was dead. She looked at Jack, eyes wide.

"Hide," Jack hissed. Ginny scurried around the staircase and hid behind and beneath it, flattening herself against the wall.

Two pirates entered the jail. Jack's eyes flickered to Ginny's. She slowed her breathing. "This ain't the armory!" yelled one of the men.

"Well, well… Captain Jack Sparrow, isn't it?" The other man spat on the floor. Jack drew back with a disgusted frown. Ginny held her breath.

"Last time we saw you, you were all alone, shrinking into the distance. His fortunes aren't improved much."

"Worry about your own fortunes, gentlemen," said Jack. "The deepest circle of hell is reserved for betrayers and mutineers."

Ginny recognized the reference to Dante's Inferno. She couldn't help the ghost of a smile that pulled at her lips. But her amusement vanished as the dark-skinned man thrust his arm through the bars to grab Jack by the throat. Ginny glanced around for a possible weapon, just in case. Ginny covered her mouth to muffle her gasp. The man's arm was skeletal in the light of the moon. Jack's eyes widened.

"So there is a curse," Jack murmured, unfazed by the other man's clench on Jack's throat. "That's interesting."

"You know nothin' of hell." the man growled.

He let go of Jack's throat and swept out of the jail with his companion. Jack peered at the dog bone, still in his hand. "That's very interesting," he muttered. His eyes lifted to Ginny's. "It's also interesting that you, an upstanding lady, would come to this place in the middle of the night, even if to hide from pirates. What're you really doing here?"

Ginny found it difficult to catch her breath. She parted her lips to speak, but no words left her lips. Come on, you coward. Tell him who you are! But the boiling claws of anxiety raked down her back and held her tongue. Ginny swallowed the lump in her throat and forced herself to say something while Jack stared at her expectantly. "I, erm… I wanted to tell you… I wanted to tell you that I don't think you deserve to die, and I know that isn't much consolation coming from a woman you don't know, but… I thought you should know. And I wanted to thank you for saving Elizabeth's life."

Jack seemed surprised, judging by the slight incline of his eyebrows and the lift of his chin. "Even though I turned around and threatened her life?"

"You didn't mean it, did you?" It was a rhetorical question, one Jack refrained from answering. He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, prompting Ginny to explain. She inhaled. "You wanted to escape. You didn't want to hurt her."

"And if I did?" Jack challenged, raising an eyebrow.

Ginny grabbed fistfuls of her skirt. "You didn't."

"You don't know me, love."

I used to. Ginny bit her tongue to keep from saying that aloud. "People's eyes tend not to lie in raw moments."

Jack smirked. "I'm a very talented liar, love. It's me whole profession, as it were."

Ginny looked away. Why was he so infuriating? He hadn't changed much, then. She peered at Jack. "Then you're lying about wanting to hurt Elizabeth. You're toying with me because you want to test my limits, to gauge my true intentions."

Jack studied her. "And what have I discovered?"

Ginny frowned, staring into his eyes. She noticed the slight knit of his brow and the trace of a smirk on his lips. He enjoyed this, but genuine curiosity also riddled him. His eyes glittered with scrutiny. Ginny released her dress and smoothed it out, relaxing slightly. "That I'm not one to underestimate."

Jack's lips upturned into a real smirk. "Ah, so you are not a mind-reader, then."

Ginny crossed her arms. "Oh? Then what have you discovered?"

Jack tilted his head as he pondered Ginny's challenge. "Perhaps I have underestimated you," he admitted. Ginny prepared to say something rather childish to rub it in, but Jack continued: "I think you're hiding something."

Ice trickled through Ginny's veins. "And what on Earth do you think I'm hiding?"

Jack grinned. "I'm afraid I'm not a mind-read either, love."

Ginny returned his smile, though it was far more reserved. Tell him! She jumped when the door to the jail opened. Her eyes widened, as did Jack's. Ginny slipped back against the wall, returning to her hiding place. Ginny stared at Jack for answers. He met her gaze and jerked his head slightly. He seemed unbothered by the newcomer. Ginny frowned as the newcomer stepped toward the empty cell next to Jack's. It was a Navy soldier. Ginny recognized the ginner hair and stepped out of her hiding place.

"Frederick!" she gasped.

The Navy man started and turned, his blue eyes wide and his face unusually pale. He frowned when he saw Ginny. "Miss Stormmare? What in God's name are you doing in here?"

Ginny glanced at Jack. She couldn't tell Frederick the truth. "I-I was on my way to the fort when I saw pirates, and… I came in here to hide. I-I didn't know what else to do."

Frederick softened. "Are you all right?" he asked, gripping Ginny's shoulders in concern. Ginny nodded and smiled softly. Frederick spared Jack a brief glance before looking back to Ginny. "Let's get you out of here. We believe the worst of the attack is over."

Ginny nodded. She looked at Jack, who lifted his eyebrows at her in response. Ginny bit her lip and followed Frederick out of the jail cell. Frederick led Ginny inside the fort and to Norrington's office, where Weatherby and Norrington yelled rather heatedly at one another.

"No one can find Elizabeth. We must do something!" Weatherby snapped.

"I have sent out search parties," Norrington said, sounding exhausted. "If she is still gone at first light, we will exact another course of action."

Ginny felt cold fingers grip her heart. "Elizabeth is missing?"

The two men noticed Ginny with Frederick at last. Weatherby wheeled and his face drowned with relief. "Ginny! Thank goodness you're all right. Where've you been?"

"I hid," Ginny said impatiently, "and is Elizabeth really missing?"

Weatherby rubbed his forehead. "I'm afraid so. Those pirates attacked my home. Franklin is dead."

Ginny's heart stuttered. Franklin? She had spoken to him only hours ago… She gripped her skirt. "Anyone else? Estrella?"

"They're all accounted for, save for Elizabeth." Weatherby replied.

Ginny nodded, though she felt no relief. "I-I can't believe… Elizabeth… I went for a walk because I couldn't sleep, and then they attacked. God, this is my fault. I should've stayed at the house…" She ran a hand through her hair, feeling rather queasy.

"Nonsense," Weatherby assured her, patting her shoulder. "Had you stayed, they would've taken you as well."

They wouldn't have taken me. Ginny kept her thoughts to herself. She could defend herself, but not many were privy to that information. Ginny should've stayed. She could have protected Elizabeth… She should have taught Elizabeth…

"Mr. Alden, why don't you take Miss Stormmare back home?" Norrington suggested.

Frederick nodded and put his arm around Ginny and led her out of Norrington's office. He walked her home, where he kissed her cheek in farewell. Ginny smiled stiffly in response. She entered the house and trudged up to her room. She refused to look down the hall at Elizabeth's room. Trembling, she stared around at her ransacked room. Her jewelry box sat open, its contents missing. The blankets on her bed were torn back, evidence of a frenzy of overturning her room for anything valuable. Clothes lay strewn about the floor. Ginny's stomach lurched, though not for her missing things.

Her trembling intensified until bile surged up her throat. She swallowed it with a grimace. She paced back and forth, too anxious to sleep. She paused, catching sight of herself in the mirror. Her hair had fallen from its bun. Dirt and mud smudged the front of her dress, as well as the elbows and knees, courtesy of her dive into the dirt for cover. The hem of her dress was beginning to fray, and there were two spots of wrinkled fabric on the skirt from her incessant grabbing of it. Sweat sheened her colorless face. She took out the remaining pins in her hair, letting it fall about her shoulders. Huffing, she struggled out of her dress. In her undergarments, she searched her closet for something more casual.

After rummaging through the remnants of her clothes, she found a lightweight lavender dress with white lace sleeves. She struggled into it, pulled on a flat pair of shoes and left the governor's mansion. Morning light began to streak through the clouds, casting pale light onto Port Royal. Ginny sighed in relief –Norrington and his men seemed too busy to hang Jack at the moment, so that scratched worry off her list. Ginny wandered the streets of Port Royal, her feet leading while her mind worried. The pirate attack had left shops plundered and littered the streets with bodies. Soldiers worked to remove the dead before the afternoon sun baked them and intensified the stench of decay. Ginny avoided looking at the bodies. She headed toward the blacksmith shop to check on Will. However, she happened across a body splayed on the ground, and her chest tightened.

"Will?" Ginny breathed, hurrying toward the body. "No, no, no… Please, don't be dead!" Ginny examined Will's body as she knelt beside him. She saw no critical wound. She relaxed slightly but began to shake Will to wake him. Will wrinkled his brow. Ginny sighed, smiling breathlessly. He rubbed the back of his head while Ginny helped him sit upright.

Will seemed to realize who sat beside him. "Miss Stormmare," he cried. "They took her, they took Elizabeth!"

Ginny frowned. "She's missing, I know."

"I saw the pirates take her." Will replied, getting to his feet.

Ginny helped him, her frown deepening. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. I saw them." Will insisted.

Ginny nodded. "Then let's get to the fort and tell Norrington. They currently think that she's only missing."

Will nodded. Ginny looped her arm around Will's waist while he draped an arm over her shoulders. Their progress to the fort was slow, with Will half-hopping, half-limping with Ginny as his support. Eventually, Will's head cleared, and his leg felt better, so Ginny backed off and let him walk on his own. They found Norrington and Weatherby in a room, bent over a map. Norrington muttered about sending ships and their positions.

"They've taken her. They've taken Elizabeth!" Will announced. Ginny lifted a brow at him. He certainly had no qualms about getting to his point.

"Mr. Murtogg, remove this man." Norrington drawled, almost lazily. Ginny bristled. She recognized one of the men from the dock the day before as he moved to grab Will.

"We must hunt them down, we must save her!" Will argued, shrugging off the thin Navy man.

"And where do you propose we start?" Weatherby sounded weary, despite his snappish tone. "If you have any information concerning my daughter, please, share it!"

Ginny felt a sharp pang in her chest for Weatherby. She looked away from him, the back of her neck burning. Everyone cared for Elizabeth. Of course they were searching for her, but where did they start? Ginny itched for action. How could she be expected to wait for Elizabeth's safe return? After years of surviving on her own, Ginny was not one to sit by the window and sew while waiting for a loved one to return. Ginny had lost too many close to her. She refused to lose another. But where to start?

"That… Jack Sparrow," said Murtogg, jerking Ginny's attention to him, "he talked about the Black Pearl."

Ginny assumed that was the name of the ship responsible for the attack on Port Royal. Murtogg's friend, a thicker man named Mullroy, snorted. "Mentioned it is more like it."

Ginny frowned. What did Jack know of this obsidian ship and her violent crew? She glanced at Will, who said, "Ask him where it is. Make a deal with him. He could lead us to it."

"No," Norrington sighed, hardly looking up from his map. "The pirates who invaded this fort left Sparrow in his cell, ergo, they are not his allies."

Ginny shifted. "When I was hiding in the jail, two of those pirates talked to Jack," she commented. Everyone looked at her. Ginny felt her face tingle. "They're certainly not allies, but they have history. I think Jack would have information crucial for Elizabeth's rescue." She left out the bit about betrayers and the curse. She did not want to speak for Jack, especially of matters she had no understanding. She supposed that some part of her wanted to protect him, too. She wasn't entirely sure she believed what she had seen, and no doubt the men in the room would mock her for it.

Norrington scowled at Ginny. "The only deal that the likes of Sparrow would accept is to ensure his own freedom."

"Well," Ginny retorted, "if he's due to be hanged, can you really blame him?"

Norrington frowned at her. Instead of offering a counter argument, he turned to Weatherby. "Governor, we will establish their most likely course."

Will threw his hatchet onto the table and yelled, "That's not good enough!"

Norrington turned. He remained calm, but Ginny noticed the flicker in his eyes. They had breached their welcome. Norrington removed the hatchet. "Mr. Turner," he said, walking round the table, "you are not a military man, you are not a sailor. You are a blacksmith." Norrington grabbed Will by the arm and led him out of the room. "Do not make the mistake in thinking you are the only person here who cares for Elizabeth." Norrington's eyes flickered to Ginny's before returning Will's glare. "Now, take Miss Stormmare home and return to Mr. Brown's."

Will and Ginny headed away from the fort. Ginny shot a frown back at Norrington, though he was long out of sight. She turned to Will. "What are we going to do now?"

Will sighed once they were outside the fort entrance. "I don't know."

"I am not going back home." Ginny insisted.

Will stared at her. "Neither am I."

"Glad we're in agreement, then." Ginny said.

Will hesitated before asking, "You said you spoke with Sparrow?"

"Witnessed a discussion is more accurate."

"Do you think he knows more about the Black Pearl?"

"Possibly. I witnessed this while hiding, Will. Jack and I are not even considered acquaintances." Ginny ignored the dull ache in her chest.

Will nodded, but his brow furrowed. "Yet you call him by his first name."

Ginny's cheeks burned. "I prefer to call people by their first names."

Will shrugged and started walking. Ginny scurried after him. He glanced at her over his shoulder. "I'm going to talk to him."

"We don't have anything to offer him." Ginny protested. "I hate to say it, but James is right. Jack is a pirate, due to be hanged. There's nothing in this for him. He's already saved Elizabeth's life once, and he got arrested for it. What makes you think he'll agree to help us?"

Will paused outside the jail. "This is a last resort," he began, looking rather uncomfortable, "but I could help him escape."

Ginny worked her jaw and nodded slowly. "Best keep that card to yourself until it's the right time to play it, then."

Will peered at Ginny, curiosity glimmering in his eyes. "Ginny, perhaps its best that you return home. This is considered piracy, and even women are hanged for it."

Ginny shook her head. "No, Will. I've lost too much family to do nothing. The consequences don't scare me."

Will seemed as if he wanted an explanation, but Ginny pushed past him and into the jail.

Jack wriggled the bone in the lock, cursing under his breath. He stopped when he heard the door to the jail open. He leaned back and onto the floor, attempting an image of disinterest. He suppressed a grimace, realizing he had left the bone in the lock. He prayed whoever paid him a visit –he seemed to be receiving a lot lately –was unobservant.

"You. Sparrow." It was a young man. His voice was fairly familiar. Jack looked up. It was the blacksmith boy and the lass, Ginny Stormmare.

"Aye?" Jack said.

"You are familiar with that ship –the Black Pearl?" demanded the boy.

Jack felt a sharp pang in his chest, as if his ribs had stabbed him in the lungs. He leaned back and examined his nails, feigning nonchalance. "I've heard of it."

"Where does it make berth?" asked the boy.

Jack sat up quickly. "Where does it make berth?" he mocked. The boy narrowed his eyes, so Jack smiled. "Have you not heard the stories?" When neither the boy nor Ginny answered Jack's rhetoric, he laid back again, examining the amount of dirt under his nails once more. "Captain Barbossa," Jack drawled, unable to mask his bitterness, "and his crew of miscreants sail from dreaded Isla de Muerta. It's an island that cannot be found except by those who already know where it is."

"The ship's real enough. Therefore its anchorage must be a real place. Where is it?" The boy was on the verge of seething.

"Why ask me?" Jack returned, interest piquing. The boy's urgency suggested possible profit for Jack.

"Because you're a pirate." muttered the boy, sounding rueful.

"And you knew those pirates last night." Ginny added.

Jack's eyes flicked to hers before turning his attention back to the lad. "And you want to go pirate yourself, is that it?"

The boy moved closer to the bars. "Never," he snarled. Ginny appeared unfazed. Not for the first time, Jack's mind ached to remember something too clouded in his memory. Stormmare… Stormmare… Where have I heard that name? "They took Miss Swann." the boy added when Jack said nothing.

Jack grinned and straightened. "Oh, so it is that you've found yourself a girl! Well, if you're intending to brave all, hasten to her rescue and so win fair lady's heart, you'll have to do it alone, mate. I see no profit in it for me."

"I can get you out of here," said the boy quickly.

"How's that? The key's run off." Jack replied, his eyes flicking to Ginny's. Thanks for that.

"I helped build these cells," said the boy, sounding excited. "These are half-pin barrel hinges," the boy continued, grabbing the bench behind him and situating it in the holes of the jail cell door. "With the right leverage, and the proper application of strength, the door will lift free."

Jack stared at the lad. "What's your name?"

"Will Turner," said the boy.

Jack maintained his composure. "That would be short for William, I imagine. Good, strong name. No doubt the name for you father, aye?"

Will eyed Jack, suspicion darkening his gaze. "Yes."

Jack poked his cheek with his tongue. "Uh-huh," he muttered. He got up. "Well, Mr. Turner, I've changed me mind. If you spring me from this cell, I swear on pain of death that I shall take you to the Black Pearl and your bonny lass." Jack held out his hand through the bars.

Will shook Jack's hand. "Agreed."

"Agreed," Jack repeated. "Get me out!"

Will pressed on the bench with his weight and lifted the cell door clean off its hinges. He shoved the door to the side. "Hurry. Someone will have heard that."

"Not without me effects," Jack grabbed his said effects and turned to Ginny, a frown wrinkling his brow. "And what is your reasoning for joining us, lass?"

"She's not coming." Will stated.

"I beg your pardon?" Ginny retorted. Jack looked back and forth between them.

"It's too dangerous." Will replied.

"I can handle myself, Will. The Swanns are my only family now. You're not responsible for me," Ginny lowered her gaze. "No one is."

"Ginny…" Will seemed quite distressed.

"I know how to sail," Ginny insisted, "and I'm a skilled swordswoman. I'm coming."

"How do you know how to sail? How are you a swordswoman?" Will demanded, looking bewildered.

"If I might add my few pieces worth," Jack interjected, "we don't have the time to sort this out. And Norrington's men will be less likely to shoot on sight with a woman with us."

Ginny peered at him, her eyes as thoughtful as ever. Jack looked to Will, impatience eating at him. Will nodded at last, and three set off.

Ginny swung from the Dauntless over to the Interceptor, unable to swallow the grin on her face. She landed on the deck of the Interceptor and helped Will cut the ropes tying her to the Dauntless. Jack took the wheel. The Interceptor sailed forward, already nearly passing the stationary Dauntless.

"Sailors, back to the Interceptor, now!" Ginny heard James yell. Ginny watched one sailor attempt to swing over to the ship, but missed and fell into the water.

Jack took off his hat. "Thank you, Commodore, for getting us ready to make way! We'd've had a rather hard time of it ourselves!"

"Open fire!" Norrington roared to his men.

Ginny, Will and Jack ducked to avoid the fire. Soon, however, they were out of range. As they exited the bay, Ginny laughed. She peered at Port Royal, shrinking until it was no more than a blur. Her hair whipped with the wind and the slight rock of the ship played with her balance. She grinned, closing her eyes as the sun warmed her skin. Jack instructed Will and Ginny on how to adjust the sails, though he did most of the work. Eventually, Will sat down and worked on sharpening his sword. Ginny sat by the rail to stare at the water glittering in the sunlight, her mind wandering. She should tell Jack. She knew she should. She wanted to tell Jack. Part of her wanted to confront him, demand to know why he just left her. Another part of her wanted him to never know. Life was easier that way. No, life had been easier not thinking of Jack at all. But now, Ginny couldn't do that. Twenty-one years' worth of dusty, buried feelings had resurfaced.

The ship rocked suddenly, and Ginny caught the rail to keep from falling over. She looked around and saw a beam from one of the sails hanging over the sea. Jack held a sword and pointed it toward the beam. Ginny frowned and then gasped when she noticed Will dangling above the sea. Ginny hurried up the steps to the quarterdeck, her brow furrowed.

"Now as long as you're just hanging there, pay attention," Jack was saying. He glanced at Ginny in warning. She paused. She had no weapon, so if she needed to save Will, she would need to outsmart Jack. That would be no easy feat. So, she listened instead. "The only rules that matter are these: what a man can do, and what a man can't do. For instance, you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man or you can't. But pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that someday. Me, for example, I can let you drown. But then I'd have to dispatch Miss Stormmare as well. And I can't sail this ship into Tortuga all on me onesie, savvy?" Jack spun the wheel, bringing the sail and yard back. Will dropped onto the deck, winded. Jack pointed his sword at Will. "Can you sail under the command of a pirate?" He flipped his sword and caught it by the blade. "Or can you not?"

Will looked at it for a moment before accepting the hilt. "Tortuga?"

"Tortuga." Jack confirmed with a grin.

Ginny looked between them and relaxed as the tension lessened. She looked to Jack. "The pirate port?"

Jack looked at her. "You know it?"

"I've heard of it."

Jack smirked. "Then, I am honored to deflower your Tortugan bud, as it were."

Ginny raised her eyebrows, unimpressed. She turned to Will. "Are you all right?"

Will got to his feet and dusted himself off. "Yes."

Ginny nodded and left the two men. She headed below deck to the galley, needing time apart from the others. She searched the cabinets for food. She had never been a decent cook, so she cut a chunk of bread from a loaf and fixed herself a plate of bread and dried fruit. She sat at the table. Will entered the galley and fixed himself a plate before sitting across from Ginny. He was oddly dazed. Ginny slowed her eating.

"Did you get knocked in the head?" she asked.

Will frowned at her. "What?"

"You have… You have a faraway look in your eyes."

"Oh," Will shook his head, as if to clear his eyes of their glaze. "I was just thinking."

"About what Jack said? What did he mean about your father?" Ginny replied.

Will huffed. "He knew my father. He was called 'Bootstrap Bill.' Jack says he was a pirate."

Ginny got up to set her plate aside. She fixed Will and herself a drink of water. She brought the mugs to the table. Will thanked her with a nod. She sat back down at the bench. "And how do you feel about it?"

Will's face wrinkled with disgust. "I hate it. There's no way."

"Will," Ginny huffed, "would it really be so terrible if it were true?"

Will looked at her. "Ginny, how could you even say that? Why are you so soft on pirates? They took Elizabeth!"

Ginny clenched her teeth. "There are black-hearted pirates, and there are good pirates. Would it really be so apocalyptic to accept that your father was good and a pirate?"

Will scowled. "Yes, it would! Did you not see what those pirates did last night? They raped, they pillaged… I don't want to be related to that. Why does it not bother you?"

Ginny's patience snapped. "Because my mother was a pirate."

Will's eyes widened. He drew back, staring at Ginny with new suspicion. "You're not serious?"

Ginny bit her lip. "I am. My mother was a pirate. And the men who weren't, the men who are supposed to be good in your mind, they were black-hearted and did things to me that only a filthy pirate would. Your black-and-white views will mess with your head, Will." Ginny got off the bench and left the galley, fuming. She ventured further below deck, seeking more distance. She leaned against the wall and slid to the floor, her eyes burning. She had not wept for her mother in years, yet talking about her seemed to pick at the scab on Ginny's heart. She leaned her head back, taking deep breaths to calm herself. She dozed off, exhausted from the past several hours.

Jack frowned when he noticed Ginny Stormmare ascend on deck. The moon glinted off her hair, casting a silver glow about her. She ignored him, though he was positive she knew he was watching her, and braced her arms on the railing. Jack watched her for a moment. She hung her head, flexing her shoulders like a cat's. She appeared exhausted. Jack debated calling to her for a heartbeat. The lass was quiet toward him, even cold. Still, he had chiseled his way past icy exteriors in women before. How difficult could it be?

"Can't sleep?" he called. Ginny looked over at him. He watched her lips downturn. She seemed to mull over several warring thoughts before nodding. Jack waved her up to him. Ginny hesitated before making her way to the quarterdeck. Jack smirked at her. "Seasick?"

Ginny scowled. "I've been on a ship before."

Jack's smirk widened into a grin. "That's not a denial, love."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I am not seasick. Sleep evades me most nights."

Jack frowned. So they shared that trait. "Ah. The troubles of a busy mind, I presume?"

Ginny looked away. "You could say that."

Jack lifted a brow. Getting Ginny to talk was more difficult that pulling out toenails. "Let's hear it."

Ginny stared at him. "You're rude to presume I'd want to tell you."

Jack feigned offense. "I resent that, love. I merely wish to know what keeps the lovely Ginny Stormmare up at night." Stormmare… Why is that so familiar? "At any rate, we have the time. Might as well fill it. What keeps you up tonight, love?"

Ginny appeared quite sheepish. "If I'm honest, you."

Jack shot her a bewildered look. "As flattered as I am, and though this is not an uncommon happening for me, I must admit I am a tad shocked that I'm the reason. Normally, it takes a certain amount of seducing…"

"Not like that!" Ginny insisted, her eyes wide. Jack smirked at her. He prompted her to continue with a lift of his brow. She looked at her hands and inhaled deeply. "We… we actually know each other."

Jack drew back, his amusement fading. "I think I'd remember you, love." He looked her up and down. The lightweight dress looked rather becoming on her curves. When she shifted uncomfortably, Jack brought his gaze to her eyes, but she looked away.

"Y-you lived on my family's farm for a time. Back then, I was called Virginia Enright and you were Jack Teague." Ginny muttered.

Jack stopped breathing. He froze, still staring at her as if she had yet to speak. His heart began to thump faster. "Bloody hell." he finally managed, his voice ragged. He looked away from her, his hands gripping the spokes of the wheel to keep from trembling.

"That's all you have to say? Twenty-one years and you have nothing to say for what you and your family did?" Ginny's voice was barely above a whisper.

Jack swallowed the bile rising in his throat. "Love, I had no choice. My parents dragged me off before I could do anything." It took a lot of effort not to shrink beneath her glare.

"Thanks to your family, I lost mine. You don't have any idea of what I went through, and it's all your fault!" Ginny visibly shook, her eyes glittering with unshed tears.

But Jack had not been without suffering after that day on the Enright farm. He turned to Ginny, his eyes cold. "What you went through? You've no idea what I went through!"

Ginny snorted. "At least it wasn't my fault."

Jack clenched his teeth. "You can't blame me for what happened. Your own father turned us in!"

Even in the pale light of the moon, Jack saw Ginny's cheeks redden. "And if I ever see him again, I'll kill him." The venom in her voice knocked the breath right out of Jack's lungs.

"Some of it was your fault," he insisted. "I went searching for you. S'how I became a pirate in the first place."

Ginny scowled, looking as though she refused to believe him. "You were well on your way to becoming a pirate before that day."

Jack gritted his teeth. "Actually, after that day, I was sick of it. I wanted nothing to do with piracy. I quit to look for you. I found Cutler Beckett and worked my way up to gain his trust. I told him I knew you and asked about what happened to you. Cutler was vague about it, said you'd run away and were never seen again. He said they figured you'd perished in the woods and some animal got to you."

Ginny snorted. "Did he tell you that I had to escape? That every day I feared for my life and what he would do to me?"

"Wanted to shed himself in the best light, I suppose."

Ginny looked at the sky for a moment. "I escaped, and I made them think I lost myself in the woods. I ran in a creek so that the dogs couldn't smell me. I ran till I reached the river. The first settlement I came across, I stole a horse and headed for the bay. I smuggled aboard a ship, which was attacked by pirates. They took me in until I went to London and found the Swann family. But I'll never see my brother again. And my mother…" She trailed off, the anger in her eyes dimming.

Jack's chest tightened. "Gin, I didn't want to leave you behind. I swear. I looked for you. I tried to run after you, but me dad stopped me. I hated that we left you. You think I forgot? I've never forgotten."

"I haven't, either," Ginny muttered. She no longer sounded angry, just weary. She looked at Jack then, and offered him a wry smile. "I just thought you should know."

Jack knit his brow and the corners of his mouth downturned. For once, his silver tongue was no more valuable to him than lead. He stared into Ginny's eyes for several moments before asking, "Where does Stormmare come from?"

Ginny blinked, taken aback by the question. "It was my mother's maiden name."

Jack nodded. "I recognized it."

The twitch of Ginny's lips was so miniscule, Jack almost missed it. She looked at her hands. "This did not go how I imagined it."

"And how did you imagine it?" Jack asked.

Ginny breathed a laugh. "Which scenario would you like to hear?"

Jack shrugged. "Fair enough." He peered at her. "Is that why you came to the jail that night?"

Ginny nodded. "I… I didn't want you to die without telling you. Some part of me was afraid to go at all."

"Why's that? I don't bite. Unless you want me to." Jack grinned wickedly.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "You're an ass," she said. Jack's grin faltered. He was suddenly a lad again, running through tall grass, tugging on blonde curls…

"Brat!" he called, dancing away from Ginny's left hook.

"You're such an arse!"

"Ginny Enright, watch your language!" Evelyn Enright called from her place on the porch.

"Yes, Mum!" Ginny called. She turned to Jack, who grinned at her, challenging her. She narrowed her eyes, which sparkled in the sunlight. "I'm going to kill you."

Jack's grin widened. "I'd like to see you try!"

Jack shook off the memory and realized Ginny had spoken. "What?"

Ginny huffed. "I said that I'd been afraid of what I'd do. I felt like part of me might try to help you escape."

Jack lifted his eyebrows at her. "Wouldn't we be a pair, love? Captain Jack Sparrow and the fearless Ginny Stormmare, reunited."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "You don't seem like the type to work with a partner."

Jack sobered. "As long as I am Captain Jack Sparrow, the one and only, I don't have much of a problem with it."

Ginny sighed. "Well, dreams as children don't often come true as adults."

"Ours could," Jack pointed out before he could stop himself. Ginny raised her eyebrows at him. Jack looked ahead. "If you aren't too chicken, that is."

Ginny punched his arm. Jack scowled at her. He'd forgotten the strength of her right hook. "Never."

Jack grinned at her. She shared his mirth for a moment. Jack softened. "Get some sleep, love. Take the captain's cabin. We'll be in Tortuga tomorrow evening."

Ginny nodded. "Goodnight, Jack."

"Goodnight, Gin." Jack returned. Ginny left him alone. Jack smiled to himself. Ginny… Ginny was alive.

Sorry if it seems like I skip over scenes in the movies some. I don't want to just transcribe the movies, because that's boring. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Thank you to Padfootette for your review! Please let me know what you guys think!