I'd like to give a huge and enormous THANKS to callieandjack, thanks a lot for the lovely reviews! I loved them!

Reply to callieandjack:

I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapters! This is the chapter that explains why everything is so tense between Pia and Jack, I hope it clarifies any doubts. And yes, Pia fell for him, hard. Thanks for the reviews!

Disclaimer: I do not own POTC.

I looked at the floor, hugging my knees as Jack removed his hat, boots, coat and weapons. He lay down on his bed completely ignoring me. I looked up at him, "Why?" I asked silently. He looked at me, confused. And said "Why what?" "Why did you help back there in the alley?" he shrugged as he sat up and patted the empty space beside him. I walked over and sat beside him, drawing my knees up to my chest.

"I haven't been very pleasant lately," I said and then chuckled humourlessly "I've been a complete pain in the ass." He chuckled. "I couldn't let ye get raped just like tha' " he said. I smiled and mumbled a quiet 'Thanks.'

After a moment's silence I said "You know, I really thought you were an angel." He just smiled. "You were God-sent, really you were. I would've kissed you with happiness." At this he looked at me and smirked, "You know you could do it right now. I wouldn't mind," he said. At this I grinned my favourite crooked grin. "I think you've had your fair share of kissing for today."

He rolled his eyes, "We're pirates, aye? So there should be no words such as 'fair' in our vocabulary. First the money, now kissing. What would you be asking me to share next? The Pearl with the Navy?" he said, grumbling the last part to himself. He didn't notice that I was scowling.

When he mentioned the money we had won from Giselle, I remembered that mine were stolen. He looked at me with a questioning expression at my silence. "That bastard stole my money," I grumbled. Jack just shrugged his shoulders, "That's Tortuga for you, love" he replied.

As a reply, I sneezed. "Sorry 'bout that," I said. "I think I'm going to catch a cold," and as if to prove my point I sneezed for the second time. "You've caught a cold," Jack said. "You have a gift at stating the obvious," I replied sarcastically. He just rolled his eyes. "I'm going to sleep," I declared as I got up and lay down on my hammock.

"You're impossible," he murmured to himself. "Did you say something?" I asked. "No, I was talking to meself," he replied as he lay back down on the bed. I blew out the candle and tried to sleep unsuccessfully. "Jack?" I whispered in the darkness. "Mm?" He asked sleepily. "Sorry," I said. "For what?" he asked drowsily. "For ruining your evening. And thanks, for helping me back there." I couldn't see him, but I was sure that he smiled. I don't know how I concluded that, I just did.

You know when you get that feeling that something is happening, but you can't be sure and can't do anything about it? At the moment those types of emotions were running through me. I was certain that I was falling for him again. And I loved…and hated it at the same time. Maybe it's time that I fill you in about what happened.

He had been out at sea for many years, and I couldn't deny the fact that I missed him terribly. When we were kids we had always dreamed that we would become pirates together, and sail and terrorize the ports. We used to call each other "Captain Jackie" and "Captain Cherry". Such sweet memories.

He had sailed away after about a month after his mother's death, leaving me in Tortuga, breaking our promise. So I continued with my normal life. That is till my mother died a week later, when I was just twelve. We used to live in a rented house, so on the day of her funeral, the owner came and kicked me out, keeping most of my possessions for himself, not that I had much to begin with. But the few prized memories I had were taken from me.

I was left penniless and living on the streets. So after a week of stealing my daily needs I ran to the north part of Tortuga. Believe it or not, many rich people live there. It was like Port Royal, but with more tolerance to pirates. To make a long story short, I ended up at a rich man's house.

He treated me like a grand-daughter, and I gave him the love I would have given to my father had he been human enough to take care of me. This old man, Mr Rancher, thought me everything I knew; reading, writing, navigational skills, map-reading, general knowledge and some odds and ends about ships and pirates. It was as if he knew what Fate had in store for me. I was happy, but I longed for freedom.

Then one day he died, and once again I found myself living on the streets (his grown up children never really liked me). This time I was sixteen years old. I found work as a maid at another house. The owner was very cruel and I hated his guts. Actually, cruel would make him sound human. He used to beat me and call me names, but I wasn't the one who received the worst. I only stayed there because the income was good. In three months time I earned three hundred doubloons, imagine that. I worked at is house for nine years. You might ask, 'What did you do with the money?' I spent them in learning to fight with a sword and a pistol. When I was twenty five I managed to save 300 doubloons (I was quite the spendthrift back then). And then I met Jack again.

My childhood friend came back. You can imagine how euphoric I was. He had lost the Black Pearl to Barbossa and, while talking over some rum (I wasn't used to it by then), he asked me to join him in his search for Barbossa and the Pearl. We agreed that I was to give him my money so we could use it accordingly, and the day after I handed him the money we were to set sail. A month later I was deeply and madly in love with him.

I quit my job and being the stupid and foolish girl that I was, I slept with him the night I gave him my money. The next day he was nowhere to be found. There's no need to say I was heart-broken.

I was once-again penniless, living on the streets with no job and no friends. I simply refused the option of becoming a prostitute. Pain transformed into anger, and I boarded the next pirate ship I found, intending to search for him and make him pay. My job was in the crow's nest and mending the sails when they got torn.

I was terribly sea-sick the first few days, but when time passed I became accustomed to the ship's gentle rocking and swinging on ropes. I learned how to deal with pirates without getting cheated. I became stronger, both emotionally and physically. But I never allowed another man to step near my heart, I was too afraid that I'd end up broken hearted again.

My anger at Jack subsided so I stopped seeking him and sailed just for the heck of it. And after two years I found him, convinced (if you can call it that) him to let me work on the Pearl.

And apparently fell for him again.

This is the ninth chapter. More of filler, but really needed to explain some things. Hope you enjoyed it (and reviews are always welcomed).