Chapter Ten: Tortuga (Part Two) and Kidnaped

Jack led them to a pub called The Happy Half. The name didn't concern Trinity. She wanted to get in, buy the scallywag that nicked Kydd's neck, then get the hell off this godforsaken land. Jack had told her the man was a well known figure in this tavern. A usual customer.

Jack staggered up to the barmaid, who he had made known that he knew well. Jack, too, was a usual here. "Let's just say I like their food." Jack whispered to Will as the men took a seat at the bar. Trinity was waiting by the door, tapping her foot impatiently. She wanted to make a quick getaway if their pursuit wasn't here.

He was. The barmaid pointed down the counter to a big man, heavily drinking from a tankard. His face hidden by the brim of his hat. Jack looked at Trinity and nodded in the man's direction. He mouthed something to her. It looked like, "Don't do anything stupid."

Trinity waved him off, taking a seat next to the man. He smelled unceasingly like murky sea water and tar. Either he was a pirate, or a unlawful fisherman. Both were known to visit Tortuga along their travels. "Can I ask what you're drinkin' there, mate?"

"Wa's it to ya?" he growled, slamming his tankard onto the counter and belching loudly.

"So I can buy ye another." Trinity didn't like using average pirate dialect. She thought it was discriminatory. Something about this place brought it out in her, though. She fought to hold it back. "Ale? Rum? Grog? Anything ye be wantin'." The man looked at her questioningly. Apparently he wasn't as drunk as Trinity made him first out to be. "I hear you did me a favor. I hope to return that."

"Really now?" He was eyeing her promiscuously. Jack saw his look and rushed to her side. "Jack Sparrow? I thought the wench looked familiar!" the man roared, knocking over his stool as he stood. He took his hat off and stared down the couple.

"Really? Have we threatened you before?" Jack was in front of Trinity, backing away slowly. He left out the "captain" so he could get out of trouble, not add to it. Clearly this was a bad idea.

No one was listening to Trinity who was protesting that everyone was calling her a wench. She wasn't the wench here! Everyone else was!

"You don't remember me, do ya?" He laughed. "I 'eard the Pearl was in port here. Sent my men to check it out. They should be back soon." Without missing a beat, two pirates came in holding two squirming objects. Two children. Their children.

"Mommy!" Avery screamed, biting the hand covering her mouth. Additional pirates followed, cutlasses and pistols aimed at the children. Will stepped towards her outstretched arms, but his neck soon met with the tip of a cutlass.

"Now Mister Turner, I wouldn't do anything rash." Blackbeard's deep raspy voice echoed through the establishment. Now Trinity recognized the man at the counter. It was none other than Bartholomew Roberts, League member and one of Blackbeard's right hand men. "You want your children back, I suggest you give me back MY TREASURE!" He was clearly irate. If it was possible, steam would have been pouring from his ears.

"Those aren't ours." Jack tried acting casual. His face held a fake grin, hoping to be convincing. Elizabeth was about to scream, protest, something. Trinity couldn't afford that. The children couldn't afford that. Trinity slapped Elizabeth's arm, then nudged her in the ribs.

"Well if they aren't yours, Sparrow, then you mind if we kill them?" he snickered, taking his pointer finger and running it over his throat.

"Wait!" Stupid move, Trinity! But it wasn't Trinity who had said it. It was Jack. "I can't give you your treasure, Teach. I don't have it anymore." He sighed, slipping a comforting hand into his wife's. Jack would never let anything bad happen to Jaden. That was his son as much as it was Trinity's.

"Then I shall be keeping these little jewels until you can compensate for what you stole from me!" He flicked his wrist towards the door and watched as the men carried the children, kicking and screaming like never before, out the door.

"And what if we can't compensate? There was a lot of treasure." Elizabeth spoke. Her voice was so annoying. It irritated Trinity because she knew the Elizabeth was far above begging. She was too pampered for that, and too used to getting what she wanted handed to her on a silver platter.

"Then, my dear, your offspring will no longer be of interest to me. And no longer offspring to you." He chuckled, then slowly followed his crew out the door.

"YOU COCKROACH!" Trinity screeched after him. Jack had to literally lock his arms around her waist to keep her from breaking down in the middle of the floor.

"Let's get back to the ship, shall we?" Jack brought her to his shoulders, pressing her against himself. "Maybe in a different setting, we can devise a plan." Jack's words were hollow. He knew that there would only be one way out of this. Find a treasure large enough and trade. He just hoped that they would be able to before anything happened to the children.

A/N: i'd like to thank LilyEvensPotter for her imput and help with this chapter. she is a dear friend to me, the one who got me started writing actually, and shall always remain one.

on another note, i would like to also thank Mrs. Capt Jack Sparrows for her faithful reviews. thanx so much to you!

and thomthom830: i will soon stop your suffering. Avery's father's identity will be revealed in a up coming chapter. i will not tell you which one, seeing as how i am not quite so sure myself. thanx to you for your thoughtful reviews! always look forward to it.