In answer to Guest's question about Kate's neck to risk, it's an expression that means if she ends up in trouble because of this wild plan, she'd better not come running to Norrington for help after doing it against his advice. Just like when people say, "I ain't stickin' my neck out for nobody!" Means the only person they're interested in helping are themselves.

Kate's POV

As we inched closer to the Black Pearl, I was surprised to see how quaint it actually looked. I'd expected it to be quite intimidating, but actually it seemed to look like any other ship, minus the torn, black sails and black hull. Otherwise it appeared perfectly ordinary. I'd heard many tales and legends of the Black Pearl, why it was black and how the sight of it sent terror to sailors on sight. It did feel mysterious with a history all its own as we prepared to board. I'd half-expected the sails to be woven of pure black silk with a red horned skull face flag. I saw nothing of the kind, only scorched canvas sails with an ordinary skull and cross bones flag. I'd heard that ghoulish voices eerily chanted as sailors approached, but the only voices I could make out were those of men scurrying about, berating each other for stealing the other's rations or whatnot, or that they weren't scrubbing the grime off the deck properly. "Sounds like my life in the servant's quarters." I told myself.

After Jack Sparrow told me not to use my real name, and refused to give me a full explanation of why, he clambered up the step ladder first. Will allowed Elizabeth and then me to go next-such a gentleman-. As I peered over the edge and climbed up, I set foot on the legendary Black Pearl!

"Welcome aboard, me hearties!" Jack told his new passengers proudly. "Welcome to the Black Pearl, the finest ship in all the Caribbean." He crossed his ankles and leaned on the railing with his hand. Kate could see it was obvious that he was very fond and very proud of this sturdy ship. The crew members all glanced up in surprise at the visitors. "Haul the luggage! And let out the sails, lads! It's off to sea we be!" Jack ordered.

"Must feel so satisfactory, to have your own vessel back in your command, Jack." Will remarked.

"Aye. Satisfactory does not even begin to describe it, lad." Jack said wistfully. Elizabeth smiled. It wasn't too often that people saw the sentimental side of Jack. And she could tell from the wide smile on his face that being in charge of his ow boat again that he was more than just happy.

"I'm glad for you, Jack." Elizabeth said.

"Jack!" A familiar, fiery voice hollered from around the corner. Jack squirmed and gritted his teeth. Will grinned. Anamaria stomped next to Jack. "Where you been all day?!" She scolded. "We been waiting for ye since this mornin'! You promised to bring us fresh food. Where is it?!"

"Complications, dear." Jack shrugged innocently.

"No excuses!" Anamaria snapped at him. "Where be the food?! We'll starve if we have no rations before we sail outta here!" Kate chuckled at the way the formerly secretive and slightly intimidating-at least to herself-captain cowered before the beautiful, strong-lunged, no nonsense maiden that looked ready to box his ears in!

"Hello, Anamaria." Elizabeth smiled. "We've brought fresh supplies to last at least half a week." Anamaria gaped.

"Eh, now? What they doin' on here, Jack?"

"Just a friendly side trip to persuade them that they'd both be better off unmarried from one another!" Jack whispered.

"We brought food." Will smiled at Anamaria.

"I don't see it yet!" Anamaria retorted.

"Blimey!" Pintel cried. "Food! Real food!" The crew gathered quickly to pour their eyes over the delicious foods that Elizabeth had brought along, as they loaded the crates onto the Pearl.

"Look. A banana." Ragetti licked his lips.

"Are you certain these supplies will last half a week?" Kate asked Elizabeth sarcastically. Will shook his head.

"Peanuts!" Marty shouted in delight. "Mountains of 'em. Oh, I got one!" He proudly held it above his head. Something sharply smacked Marty's hand and snatched his little snack. He looked up in dismay and anger.

"My peanut." Jack grunted.

"Stingy." Kate frowned. Why that...that...pirate! She thought.

"See that our visitors are settled in, will ye, love?" Jack asked Anamaria.

"Jack!" She protested, scurrying after him. "You didn't say nothin' about carryin' visitors!" Jack turned and looked at her.

"Let's keep it simple, love. Mr. Turner will sleep down in the barracks with the rest of the mangy lamebrains. The young missies will sleep together in the guest quarters. Not all that much, right? Savvy?"

"Oh, I can sleep in the servant's quarters." Kate offered. Anamaria grinned naughtily, to which Elizabeth bit her lip.

"Kate, I'd change my mind if I were you." She warned in a whisper.

"You'll be a sleepin' down in the bunker with the rest of the crew then, missy." Anamaria said sarcastically with her arm around Kate's shoulder, waving her hand in a dramatic fashion to show off their staff members. Kate drew back, cringing. The men, most if not all, were filthy, ugly, and had greedy gleams in their eyes that made her stomach turn.

"No thank you." Kate shook her head quickly. "I believe I'll be taking the captain's original orders, thank you!"

"It was a thought." Anamaria shrugged, disappointed that her fun had ended too soon.

"You've kept the ship well up, Jack." Elizabeth mentioned.

"A real beauty, isn't it?" Jack boasted.

"Ahem! Who's been keepin' this fine boat spic and span, scrubbing and scouring off your filthy rum stains and mud tracks?" Anamaria grunted at Jack with her hands clenched at her hips.

Jack cleared his throat sheepishly.

"She certainly knows how to put him in his place." Will said to Elizabeth, who nodded.

"It's good for him." She agreed. Kate smirked. "Well, Kate, we'd best get into some attire more fitting for life out on the ocean." Elizabeth said to her servant.

"Such as, Miss?" Kate cocked her head.

"Follow me." Elizabeth grinned. She had her favorite dresses at home of course, but out here dressed in pirate attire, she felt so free.

"Girls!" Cotton's parrot squawked. Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"You just watch your step, fella." Kate warned the bird, pointing her index finger at it. Cotton merely grinned.

"Watch yur step there, Mr. Will." Pintel told Will as he nearly stepped into a puddle of hideous sludge the goon was mopping up.

"Wouldn't do fur ya to slip and break yur neck, after what ya doin' for us, liftin' the curse and all." Ragetti added.

"You?" Will sputtered at Pintel and Ragetti.

"You were captured, by the Royal Navy!" Elizabeth's jaw dropped.

"Hallo, poppet." Pintel grinned with his yellow teeth.

"It's Miss Swann!" Elizabeth snarled. Will marched away and Elizabeth followed him. Kate quickly followed, backing away from the two guys who were leering at her, excited that there was a new female on the Pearl to look at.

"Jack! Have you lost your mind?!" Elizabeth berated the pirate. "These are the very men who mutinied against you, and left you to die!"

"How can you even think of making them part of your crew?" Will added.

"Simple, mate. I merely 'persuaded' 'em that should they cook up such a foolish notion again, then I be strapping their heads to the cannon and firing 'em off to feed the fishes. Savvy?" Jack mentioned. "Funny, they seemed more compliant after that, though not one day sharper than the first time they came to me."

"If they're such poor seamen options, then why did you even grant them commission, again?" Kate spoke up.

"Couldn't help it." Jack mumbled. "By the time I got to the end of the line, these two blockheads were the only ones who still had the brains to join me crew."

"Or had the insanity to join." Will chided.

"Ah, but they's truly grateful to ye for a-settin' em free, Mr. Turner." Anamaria said. "They'll never have the brains of a cuttlefish, but they be handy when I need someone to do extra work around here. And with Jack as captain, the extra work never ends!" She teased.

"You have my deepest sympathies." Elizabeth said.

"Nah, I love it!" Anamaria whispered to her. "Even if the man does drive me to madness sometimes."

Elizabeth and Kate settled in their quarters. Kate was extremely grateful to have the simple little bedroom-even if she had to sleep on a cot on the floor-rather than sweat and pant down in the smelly barracks below deck with the greedy, dirty men! Elizabeth and Kate emerged as Jack was ordering the anchors to be pulled up. "Miss Elizabeth." Gibbs greeted warmly.

"Mr. Gibbs. It's nice to see you again." Elizabeth smiled.

"Aye." Gibbs agreed. "An unexpected pleasure. And who might you be, lass?" Gibbs asked Kate.

"I'm Kate." Kate curtsied.

"Kate..."

"Just a ward the good governor and his daughter took in!" Jack spouted quickly. "Nothing more to know here." He pulled Kate aside. "I told you not to use yur real name around here!"

"Yes, but you didn't tell me which one!" Kate whispered back. "I didn't tell him my surname."

"See that you don't!" Jack warned her.

"Well, pleasure it is, ladies." Gibbs told the girls though he was a bit suspicious about Jack's behavior just a moment ago. "Where to, Cap'n?"

"British channels." Jack said confidently.

"The British channels, you say?" Gibbs' jaw dropped. "Jack, England's entire continent fleet will be after us!"

"Your forget one thing, mate."

"Sir?"

"I'm Captain Jack Sparrow." Jack smiled. He swaggered over to the rail and breathed deeply of the salty sea air. "What you say, lass? What do ye think of my grand ship?" He heartily asked Kate as she came near.

"It's...not what I expected." She said.

"And?"

"It's not as frightening as I thought it would be."

"Good." Jack approved.

"I can't believe it. We're really sailing to England!" Kate breathed in awe.

"That we are. Lovely country, but a bit too froufrou for my line of work. Boring mostly, all those tea parties."

"Per...perhaps." Kate grimaced, leaning her head into her arms on the rail.

"Aye?" Jack glanced at her. "What's ailing you?" He teased.

"I...this boat is swaying too..." Kate gulped hard, looking white in the face. But before she could finish her sentence, she instantly covered her mouth and rushed away.

"Oh!" Jack realized the problem. "Bloody seasickness."