Sorry for the delay but my computer wasn't working properly. This chapter was supposed to be published on Christmas, but my computer decided to break down on that very same day. (I went berserk and nearly threw it out my balcony). So, I'd love to thank my reviewers; FunnyLittleMe, SoftlySpokenHeart, DeucesAreWild and The Fanfic Critic. Thanks for your support people!

Jack's Point of View

I was surprised that I hadn't worn down Pia's ship's planks by my pacing. That's right; Remington threw me out of the cabin when he was removing the bullet from Pia's wound. He said that I'd be more of a hindrance than of assistance. Probably he was right. It was incredible. If the bullet had been a little higher, her ribs and breastbone would've been shattered. If it had been a little lower, the bullet would've gone right through in without a hope of removing it. Both scenarios would've resulted in her death. Luckily it had been caught between the ribs.

The look in her eyes just before she lost consciousness scared me. I don't really know how to describe it. Her eyes, usually full of life, humour and mischief, were dulling right in front of my very eyes. It was as if…as if her life was literally draining away, like the blood from her gash. It was as if she was already d- "Captain?" Mr. Remington's quiet voice said, interrupting my thoughts, for which I was grateful for. "Aye?" I asked, hoping for the best and fearing the worst.

"I did all that was in my power. You have to understand, she lost a lot of blood," he said as he wiped his hands from blood. I felt as if my stomach lost its bottom as I looked at the crimson liquid on the white cloth, her blood. "She'll need a lot of rest, Captain. It's a miracle she's still alive." He said. "She's alive?" "Yes, Captain."

The words hadn't even left his mouth and I was already hurrying towards the bed, where Pia was lying. Her eyes were closed, her hair dead looking, her lips were pale and her shirt was stained red. But her chest was moving. Slowly and weakly, but she was breathing. A breath, I didn't realize I was holding, escaped my lungs as my knees gave way, landing myself in a chair. I put my face in my hands, trying to calm myself.

"It's alright now, Captain. She's alive and safe," Emma soft voice. 'That's where the chair came from.' "Aye lass." And so four or five days passed, before a flicker of an eyelid confirmed that Pia had won the battle against unconsciousness.

Pia's Point of View

Pain. Agonizingly aching pain, just where my ribs separated. That was the first thing that I noticed when I came to. A whimper escaped my lips before I could stop it and in a split second Jack was beside me, his face all smiles. "You're alive," he said as he sat on the bed beside me. "And in pain," I continued. "How long have I been out?" I asked. "About four to five days," he replied. I sighed as my eyes scanned my unfamiliar surroundings.

"Where are we?" I asked. "Your ship," he replied, battling an even bigger smile. "My ship?" I asked and then "Oh, my ship," I said as a small grin started to unfold on my face. "My ship," I repeated again. "Aye, Captain Sterlin," he replied. I took a deep breath and gasped as pain ripped through my abdomen. "What is it?" he asked, his face gone from happy to worried. "It hurts," I hissed. He got up from the bed as if it was suddenly on fire and started searching frantically for something on his desk.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked as I saw the mess he was creating. "Searching for something to help you relive the pain, love," he replied. "Please, don't get laudanum. I don't like that stuff. Get me rum instead," I replied. His searching stopped as he picked up a dusty bottle from a chest, opened it and handed it to me. He helped me sit up and I put the bottle to my lips, feeling its burning sweetness rush down my throat. "What happened to the kids and Monika?" I asked, once I took a generous amount of rum. "The knights offered them a passage home," he replied. We were silent for a moment until Jack decided to break it.

"What you said, before you passed out, did you mean it?" 'Oh boy, I knew I shouldn't have opened my mouth.' "I-well- what I said-I mean," I started, but then I sighed and looked at my hands in my lap. "Yes," I whispered, hoping he wouldn't hear and that he'd drop it. Of course, I had no such luck. "Oh."

"Oh? Is that all you have to say?" I asked. "Is this the part where I'm supposed to confess me eternal love?" he asked slyly. "No, this is the part where you're supposed to tell me the truth," I replied. "Oh, I dunno love. I just-I need to figure it out. This is all new to me," he replied. "Oh that's right, and to me it isn't because I practice falling in love every week," I replied sarcastically. "Glad to see you're sarcasm hasn't been hurt," he answered snidely. "Oh ha ha, very funny," I snapped. "It wasn't supposed to be funny," he said smartly. "And you were supposed to tell the truth," I retorted back. "And you still didn't answer my question." "What question, love?" he asked innocently.

I sighed, closed my eyes and lay my head back on the plump pillows. "Just forget it," I mumbled. It was useless trying to wring out an answer from him anyway. "What happened in the Cave?" he asked after a moment's silence. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I replied, opening my eyes. "Try me," he goaded softly. I chuckled and said "Fine. I encountered a talking stone statue." He frowned and his lips parted in surprise. "Love, you're positively delusional. Last time I checked stone doesn't do anything," he paused and then continued "except release crabs."

I raised my hand towards him. "You see those?" I asked indicating the Celtic ring and bangle. He nodded his head. "The statue, which was an exact replica of Tia Dalma, gave them to me. The ring let's me speak any language and the bangle-" I paused and looked at him unsurely as he sat beside me. I took a breath, winced at the pain in my chest and said "The bangle is Calypso's Mark." "What do you mean by tha', love?" he asked. "You remember my father saying that his mother was an Obeah woman?" I asked. "Aye," he replied.

"Well, that woman was Calypso bound in human form." Silence. And then "You've got to be joking," he burst out. "Does it look like I'm joking?" I asked. "She said that if I went out of the Cave I'd find the treasure," I continued and shrugged. "I didn't find no treasure," I continued. "So that explains why the Pearl's holds are bursting with swag and all manner of valuables." Jack mused.

"You're pulling my leg, right?" I asked incredulous. "I'm saying the truth. Every word, love," he replied holding his hands up. "You do realize that we're positively rich?" I asked. "Aye," he replied, a small smile tugging at his lips. Someone knocked on the door and Jack got up and opened it.

"I'm here to check on Miss Sterlin, Captain," Remington's voice said as Jack nodded and opened the door wider. He stopped in his tracks as he saw that I was awake. "Oh, you're awake." He said as he put his small medicine cabinet on a chair and brought it over next to the bed. "May I?" he said, indicating the bandages around my chest. "Sure, go ahead," I said as he undid the bandages, leaving my breasts covered. "You're a very lucky woman, Miss Sterlin," he commented as he cleaned over the stitches with a stinging ointment. "I was unlucky enough to be hit by a shot," I replied back. "The bullet got stuck between the ribs. It didn't fragment itself and the ribs were left intact. The wound doesn't appear as if it's going to be infected and you woke up after only four days. You're a very lucky woman. Why the blood loss alone should have been enough to kill you," he said as he wrapped the bandages around my midriff.

At that moment, a knock on the door interrupted our conversation. Mr. Gibbs poked his head in, as Mr. Remington strode out, and said "Captains? Miss Monika is here, and she has company with 'er." Jack looked at me with a narrowed eye. "Tell them to come in in a moment." I said as I sat up with difficulty. "Love, you shouldn't-" "I'm fine, Jack. Now help me change my shirt, it's ripped," I said, interrupting his warning. He sighed as he pulled another shirt from a cloth bag (which I'm sure he had brought from the Pearl) and helped me put it on.

"You know, you should obey the Captain's orders," he said quietly. I smiled at him as I put on my boots slowly. "Aye, the Captain is giving orders. You're on my ship, Jack," I replied, as I leaned back. He sighed and shook his head as he walked over to the door to invite my sister and the others in.

Monika walked in followed by Antonio and a lovely girl, about my sister's age. She was very pretty. Her almond shaped eyes were an azure blue colour. Her long brown hair was incredibly straight, no waves or kinks, just straight. Her tall slender frame was blessed with the right amount of curves and her skin was like honeyed milk. Her smile was sweet and innocent, like an angel's. "This is Sara, my friend," Monika said. I nodded my head and smiled. "Please sit, if there are enough chairs," I said. As it turned out, there were only four, just enough.

"Pia, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said-" Monika gushed, however I interrupted her. "It's not your fault, don't blame yourself. What brings you here?" I said. She nodded, more to herself than anything and said "I know it isn't possible, but if you-you know, if you want to stay with us, just say the word." "Thanks. I appreciate, really I do. But I can't accept, the sea's my home. And now that I have my own ship, I'm less than willing to accept you offer. Thanks, though." I replied. She smiled a small apologetic smile and sat back.

Sara stepped forward and placed a basket on the bedside table. "That's fruit, from our fields." She said pointing towards the wicker basket. "I hope we can be friends." She continued as she put forward her hand. I shook her hand and said "I don't see why not, at the moment." She nodded and said "Monika told me a lot about you and about what happened. I hope you recover fully, not many survive a wound like that." "I'm trying to keep looking towards the optimistic side," I replied. She nodded and stepped back, allowing Antonio to step forward.

"The Grandmaster would like to see you," he said. I nodded my head and said "Tell him to expect me sometime during the afternoon." He nodded his head and said "We are grateful for your help. Many knights were captured during the raid. It would have cost us a lot of money to release them." I shrugged. "I had my crew to release as well." "I hope your wound gets better," he said as he nodded, and after giving a fleeting soft look to Sara hurried out. I looked at Sara closely to see a very dilute blush.

"Is there something going on between you and Antonio?" I asked. "Well, not exactly- I mean-" "They're seeing each other," Monika interrupted. "No we're not! We're-we hold a fondness to each other, we're-close friends," Sara stuttered. "Relax, I'm not gonna blow your secret. We know how it is to keep secrets, right Jack?" I said, referring to when he was on the run from the Kraken. "Aye, love." he replied.

"Not that I want to be rude or anything, ladies, but I think that Pia needs to rest now," he continued. I scowled at him. "You're right, perhaps it's better if we go," Monika replied as they stood up and went out.

"Careful Sparrow, you might end up in the brig," I grumbled as I laid down with difficulty. He chuckled and said "Me crew'd never do that to me, love. Now go to sleep, you're tired." "No, I'm not," I yawned. "Yes, you are," he said as I stifled another yawn. My eyes were closing slowly by themselves. "You doped me," I mumbled. I vaguely remember him saying "Pirate," with his ever-present cocky smirk.

~Later on~
I was warm, too warm to be comfortable. (It was summer, remember?) As my senses came more into focus, I felt a pair of strong arms tightening around my waist, binging me closer to someone's, which I suspected was Jack, chest. "Jack," I mumbled groggily, "What time is it?"

"Six in the evening, love," he replied, his chest vibrating. "What?!" I exclaimed as I slowly sat up. "Aye, love. Some poshy noble woman dropped by and left you a dress to wear when going to visit the grandmaster." he replied. "Ha, as if I'm going to wear a dress. Come on, help me up, let's go over to the Pearl to see what I can find," I said. He put one arm under my knees and the other under my back, lifting me up bridal-style. "I said, help me up, not carry me," I sighed as I settled against his chest. "Aye, but this is quicker, love," he replied, dropping a quick kiss to my forehead.

Moments later, we were in Jack's cabin, shuffling and ruffling around in chests in search for slightly better clothes. "Love, you're a captain now. You should dress slightly more...fancy," he said motioning with his hands and watching me take out a white shirt. "I know," I replied as I took out pair of brown pants and brownish stays. "Where did you get this?" I smirked as I lifted the stays for Jack to see. He opened his mouth to respond but I interrupted him. "No, don't respond that. I know where," I said, chuckling. I took out a very light coat, brown in colour. It seemed to be made of linen, but still gave the appearance of being a 'proper' heavy one. I also found a black leather tricorn hat, which had a brownish tint. I pulled myself up as I pointed towards the door.

"Love, you sure you don't need help?" He said. "Don't make me scream bloody murder," I replied. "But-" I opened my mouth to scream. "Alright- alright I'm going." And with that, he hurried out. I took off my clothes, and was pleased to discover that my chest and stomach was wrapped tightly in bandages.

I put on the white shirt and brown pants which I had found and my own brown boots. I tried to put on the light-brown stays on the shirt, really I did, but twisting my hands around my back to tie up intricate laces was not my forte, especially with the wound in my chest. So I had to call Jack for help, rather reluctantly, might I add. Next came the sash, the sword, pistols and daggers, the coat and hat. I also managed to pilfer one of his kohl-liners, and moments later I had my eyes surrounded by black, similar to Jack's but with a bit more style.

"So do I look like a female version of you, or what?" I said as I imitated his swagger. "Aye, love. Although, you don't have me suave attitude," he chuckled as he slipped his arm around my shoulders to help me walk down the gang-plank. "That was something I left out intentionally," I replied smartly.

Moments later, we were sitting across Carafa in the Grandmaster's palace's sitting room. We decided that Jack was to act as the translator again so as not to strike suspicious (meaning the ring was put safely in my pocket). Carafa said something. "He said that he hopes that your wound is nothing serious," Jack said. "Tell him that I'll survive," I replied as Jack translated my words. "He said that's he's grateful for releasing the captured people. Some of them were knights and would've been very expensive to redeem them back. He said that if they can do anything for you, name it and they'll do their best." I paused, trying to thinking. I didn't really need anything, except-"Tell him, that if he wants, it would be gratifying if they provided my ship with red sails and renamed my ship." I said. Jack translated my words and turned to me with a grin on his face. "He asked what's your ship's new name, love."

I smiled at him and looked out of the window, trying to think of a name. I thought of the red sails which I had requested and the night's sky. "The Red Star," I said, hearing my own voice as if in a trance.

Time passed so quickly that it left me quite breathless when I looked back. My family and I (and Jack) became incredibly close to each other. We also became close friends to Sara and Antonio, who were planning on eloping to Italy so that they could get married.

However, their whishes never came true. You see, there was another corsair attack (they were quite common) and Sara was abducted by them. The Pearl's function, for the time we spent there, was to chase the offending ship, attack it and release the hostages. Our 'pay' was taking whatever plunder they had. Needless to say, we chased the ship (that had taken her), with a very frantic Antonio onboard. We caught up with it, alright. But Sara was killed.

Killed when she helped her beloved, killed when an enemy pirate stabbed her in the small of her back with a scimitar. Poor Antonio nearly went mad with grief. I remember the scene quite clearly, how Antonio wept, literally wept, while hugging Sara's dead body. Even if I wanted to forget, I couldn't. I couldn't forget Antonio, looking all noble, in gleaming silver armour, covered in blood, hugging the slender body of a beautiful peasant girl with an angry lethal gash in her stomach, grieving for his dead love.

Jack had spent the entire evening quiet, pale-looking and intent on knocking himself out with rum. "That could've easily been you when you were shot, love," Jack had said that night, just before we went to sleep as he tightened his hold around me almost painfully. "When I saw him grieving over her, I couldn't stop imagining meself in his situation," he slurred before he passed out.

Alrighty mighty, hope ya enjoyed it! Leave a couple of reviews on your way out, they brighten my day. See ya (probably next year)! Happy New Year!