Disclaimer: Da, da, da, na na na na, da, da, da, na na na na…Are you ready for this! Doo, doo, doo, da da da…

To my new fans: WELCOME! To my old fans: WELCOME BACK! Hmmm...where is that from... To whoever keeps walking on my grave: Stop it, you're sending chills down my spine and my teachers think I'm wierd coz I keep twitching!

If you're reading and not reviewing (KATHERINE!) then you're making my friend, who happens to be helping me co-write this, very angry.

Author's friend: Yes … very … um, I'm not with her …

Gibbs looked from Jack to Tara cautiously. 'So, they kidnapped her, and then they kidnapped you…er…why?'

Tara rolled her eyes and continued fiddling with the pendant. The diamond glowed a dull blue in the flickering candlelight. She sat in one of the mismatched wooden chairs around the old table inside the Captain's Quarters, and had let Jack tell the most part of the story.

'Coz they're after the pendant

''Oh … righ' …' Gibbs nodded, slowly understanding

'ow'd you know where t' find us?' Jack asked Will.

'Well, you have a reputation for being hard-to-find, what's harder to find than an island in the middle of the Caribbean?' replied Liz with a hint of sarcasm.

'Isla De Muerta?' suggested Jack.

'Mmm,' murmured Liz, 'which is also an island in the middle of the Caribbean, and this "godforsaken spit of land" was just along the way … '

Tara wasn't paying any attention to their conversation, as, at that particular moment, she'd noticed something abnormally dark inside the diamond, just past the blue glow. The others voices faded into the background as she twisted the pearl off the diamond, there was a quiet click as the hook holding it there gave way and the pearl fell into her hand. She blinked as a bright red light shone from inside the diamond. It formed a horizontal map above the table. Red lines interweaved and criss-crossed forming longitude and latitude lines and some rose into the air forming peaks and landmasses.

Tara stood, gazing at it in wonder. 'I think I know how to open it now … '

'It's a map,' said Gibbs needlessly.

'Really Gibbs, I wouldn't 'ave noticed,' replied Jack, entranced, 'That's interesting. …

'Where does it lead?' asked Liz, her eyes wide.

Tara laid the pendant carefully on the table, keeping the diamond upturned. She pointed out a miniscule, black ship near one of the smaller islets. 'I guess that means, "you are here".'

Will waved his hand through the lines, causing them to momentarily ripple, then he pointed at a shining, gold cross on one of the islands near the edge of the map. 'Would that be the buried treasure then?'

'I do believe so …' murmured Liz.

Tara was watching Jack dismally. He seemed to be very interested in the map. Great she thought no wonder he was being so nice to me …

Jack glanced up at her, and she looked down immediately. Suddenly, she felt that the sight of him would make her sick. For a moment no one said anything, then Liz gasped.

'I know where it is!'

Jack looked up at her in surprise. 'You do?'

'Isla Mona!' she said, excitedly, 'It's just off the coast of Puerto Rico!'

'How'd you know tha'?' asked Jack.

'Geography, Jack.'

There was another long pause, then Jack looked up. 'Le's go.'

Tara looked up at him. 'You're kidding.'

He eyed her with surprise. 'I'm the Captain 'ere, what I say goes, an' I say, we're goin'.' He started outside. Tara glanced at the other momentarily, who gazed back at her blankly, then decided to pursue it. She chased after Jack.

She stepped into the cold night, and saw him in the candlelight from the lanterns lit all over the Pearl. She followed him up to the Forecastle, pausing as he stopped to check ropes and such.

'But, it – it's – well – it's – don't you think it may be a little bit dangerous to go chasing after something that even the bad pirate, people, guys, want, I mean, we don't even know what it is, how can you risk everything, and everyone, might I add, on nothing but a theory!'

Jack slowed at the Main Companion Way and turned to her as she finished. 'You risked yourself on tha' theory!' he snapped, as if that justified his decision.

Tara stared at him in disbelief. 'Yes, I did, and look where I am now! I…live on streets! I avoid people as much as possible! I haven't had any friends since England! I was never so paranoid, mean or weird! I've never been as lonely as I have for the last year! I have scars, physical and psychological that'll be with me for the rest of my life! The only thing – person, that kept me going, that willed me into survival, was you!'

Jack stared at her in shock. 'Me?'

She was advancing upon him now, looking angrier than she'd ever been. 'You! I somehow deluded myself into believing that someday, maybe someday, you would come to your senses and save me - free me – from the demons, the bounty hunters, the pitiful envy I felt whenever I saw a daughter being hugged by her father in a park, myself even! But no, no all you see me as, is work, a leech that'll cling to you if it gets the chance, a sick little puppy that'll follow you forever! But that won't happen again!' She stopped short, surprised at herself for blurting all that out. 'Not again…' she repeated, quietly and unwillingly. Jack just stared at her in shock, feeling numb. There were tears in her eyes and she trembling clearly. She shook her head and pushed past him, hurrying down the stairs.

He stood still for several minutes, rooted to the deck boards. When he turned, he saw Will, Liz, Gibbs and Anna-Maria, who had come up the second flight of stairs amidst the shouting, watching him cautiously.

'Don' start,' he muttered to them as he started back to the Captains Quarters.

They glanced at each other in agreement and followed him.

'We're startin' Capt'n,' said Anna, leading the way.

Jack ignored them and pretended to be busy studying the map that still lay on the table. 'It shouldn' take too long t' get there, three days maybe…'

'Don't ignore this Jack,' muttered Will, stepping forward.

'Ignore what?'

'This,' said Liz, 'Tara, you've lost so much time with her already, and now she's telling you that she needs you to be a father to her!'

Jack looked up at her angrily. 'I'm not – I'm not a father, I'm a pirate.'

'Can't ye be both, Capt'n?' asked Gibbs. He shifted slightly at Jack's glare.

'No.'

Anna raised an eyebrow. 'Can't ya try?'

'No.'

Liz frowned at him. 'Why not?'

'Coz I don' wanna, tha's not my job.'

Will's eyes narrowed. How can he be so cold? 'You know what? She was right. You consider it a job, you think she'll – she'll … drag you down or something!'

'You don' think she will?'

The others glanced at each other again and filed out of the room, leaving Captain Jack Sparrow angry and alone.

Oh, ooo, hmmm, um ... yes ...