There was so much shouting on the Black Pearl as Will brought me aboard and the rest of the crew hastily returned. I still felt light-headed and as if I was in a fog, with everything and everyone around me passing by in a blur. Then I tumbled to the floor of the deck as someone bumped into me and that seemed to shake my senses back...and also the pain.

"It's all right, Kate. You're safe now." Will told me reassuringly. "How bad is it?" I was holding my injured arm tightly. Will bit his lip when he saw the ugly, red slashes. "Sit down, Kate. I'll find Anamaria." I obeyed by sitting down on a wooden crate against a wall. Elizabeth came to my side.

"Th-thank you, Elizabeth." I told her. "For what you did back there."

"Oh, believe me, it was my pleasure!" Elizabeth exclaimed huffily. I slightly giggled at her feisty mood. "Kate, what happened?"

"It was awful!" I whimpered. "He suggested I...rendezvous with him, and then it became worse! He...he said that...he was...that I...our moth-...ohh..."

"Looks like the nasty blackguard did an awful number on ya, lass." Gibbs interrupted me. "Does it hurt terribly?"

"Mmm-hmm." I nodded.

"I'm sorry we didn't prevent it. I'll fetch some bandages. We'll have back up on yur feet, Miss Kate, no worries!" Gibbs smiled and headed for the hold. I just closed my eyes and leaned my head on Elizabeth's shoulder. She kindly rubbed my arm and just held me till Will returned with Anamaria. She set right to work. First thing she did was rip off the rest of my frayed dress sleeve.

"Blessed mother's love, Jack. Ye almost fell behind." Gibbs told him.

"Not a chance, mate." Jack smirked. Then he saw Will passing by and gripped his arm. "I told you to stay down in the village, especially with the dear ladies, William." Jack scolded him. Will slapped his hand away.

"You'll be happy to know it wasn't of our own doing." Will huffed. "That place is full of crooked patrolmen, Jack. But of course, you probably already knew that. It's a bit hard to resist a governor's invitation when his men are holding you at gunpoint! If you'll excuse me." Will stomped off.

"We sure gave that bloody Briggs a mark to remember us by, right?" Gibbs smiled.

"Aye. That we did, mate." Jack agreed. "What do you say to a bottle of rum?"

"Aye, aye, captain! Oh, but first I must fetch some bandages." Gibbs remembered and made his way down into the hull.

"Bandages? For what?" Jack gaped at him. Since when have we needed to use bandages on the Pearl? Rum, that's the way to go! Rum makes everything better.

Elizabeth sat across from me as Anamaria tended my arm. Pintel and Ragetti stood by watching. Why, I don't know! Morbid curiosity, I suppose. Anamaria was very focused on the task at hand. She frowned and was so quiet that I'm sure she was looking on me with disapproval. I had a feeling she would start lecturing me any minute about how rough the pirate life is and how I should have been more careful. So I looked away from her as she treated my bleeding arm. We were among rugged, seasoned pirates and I didn't want to look like a wimp in front of them. But when she rubbed the salt into my raw wounds, it burned so badly that I could not help whimpering and couldn't stop the tears as much as I tried to! If she could feel what my arm felt like in the moment, she'd cry too! My shoulder felt like it was being branded. Elizabeth squeezed my other hand. Pintel and Ragetti winced and Ragetti kept looking away like a timid child. I thought they've seen worse than this! I thought. How do they react when they see severely maimed pirates?

"The salt will sting, but it'll prevent infection." Anamaria told me quietly.

"Sting...is an understatement!" I breathed through my gritted teeth.

"It isn't at all pleasant, but it should only be for a moment." Anamaria assured me, with more tenderness in her voice than I'd expected. The salt she massaged into my skin was so drilling! I bit my lip and tried to blink the tears away, but then Jack appeared to spectate and a fresh wave of tears spilled out. I had a bone to pick with him, and the nature of our would-be conversation cut me to the quick. Anamaria finally wrapped my arm up with a clean bandage.

"Will have to do that again later, Miss." She told me which only made the already rotten day feel even worse.

"Thank you." I mumbled. She shoved Jack out of her path and went back to her duties.

"You should go rest for a while, Kate. You've had a rough time." Elizabeth told me.

"Can I speak with Jack, alone please?" I asked unhappily. Thankfully, they all shifted away to give us some privacy. I could feel Jack staring at me, but I couldn't bring myself to meet his gaze.

"How's the arm?" Jack asked quietly. I looked down at my feet.

"It hurts, a lot!" I said very unhappily. "But she said it should heal."

"That's good. Anamaria's a lifesaver." Jack approved.

"She is." I agreed, trying to keep a steady voice.

"You don't look well, luv. Not at all." Jack spoke grimly. "I sense that it's more than the thrashing that's getting to you."

"It is." I cringed. "My arm doesn't hurt half as much, as what I found out!"

"Aye. It must be a painful shock." Jack agreed, offering me some rum. I just looked up at him darkly.

"You knew about this, didn't you?!" I cried. "That's what you didn't want to tell me, isn't it?"

"Come again?" Jack asked innocently.

"Don't play games, Jack. Please, not now. You knew that Briggs...you knew that...he was my...my...my brother!"

"I'm truly sorry that you found out this way, darling." Jack said tenderly. "I was trying to spare you at least that part of your family's tragedy."

I couldn't see clearly as tears fogged my vision. "It can't be true. I don't want it to be true!"

"What makes you believe it is true?" Jack suggested.

"I saw the necklace, Jack! And then he started in on me, about Mother. How she left him behind when she fled with me."

"The night she fled London with you. Aye." Jack nodded.

"So it's true then. He is my brother?" I looked up at Jack helplessly, wishing he could convince me otherwise.

"Aye, lass. It's true."

My face grew how with angry tears. "He helped them send my father away. He was in on it! He was responsible for Father's demise. My own brother! His own son! How could he do such a horrible thing?!"

"I'm afraid that part I do not understand, luv."

"Why didn't you tell me, Jack?" I wept, facing him. "I asked you to tell me the truth! Why didn't you?"

"Didn't want to see ye all broken up this way, by your own flesh and blood." Jack replied solemnly. "Wasn't my place. Besides, yur face is much too pretty to be marred by tears. I couldn't have that on me hands, could I?" He smiled.

At that point, I began to sob as another horrible thought crossed my currently wayward mind. "Did Mother know?" I blubbered. "Did she know that her own son..." I couldn't finish the sentence. The question was unbearable! To think of what Mother must have gone through all these years, and never once did she burden me with her heartache! Had she shared her grief with anyone? What a heartbreaking secret to keep!

"I'm not certain, Katie darling. Didn't know of her that well." Jack stepped closer. "But it sounds to me like your mother was a brave woman."

"She was! She was!" I cried again. I tried to wipe my eyes. Jack wasn't sure what to do. He pulled out his handkerchief and offered it to me. I just stared at it at first, then I accepted it but did not use it. Jack seemed uncomfortable, but he sat next to me. "I didn't ask you to do this for me just for myself." I said defensively. "I was doing it for her too!"

"And a noble notion it is, if not a bit impulsive." Jack said. I moaned loudly from his slight insult. Right now I didn't need to hear it. I turned away and tried to catch my breath. Jack cleared his throat. "Scratch that." He gulped. He didn't enjoy dealing with crying females. He uncorked a bottle of rum and offered it to me. I just moaned and shook my head. Jack cleared his throat, sheepishly. "It's painful to the ears, when I hear the female kind cry." He said weakly.

I turned with my back completely to him. He was no help at all. I just wanted him to go away. I was too upset to speak with him coherently or rationally right now. He stood up and walked away. I rose from the barrel I was sitting on and made my way into the larder where no one currently was so I could drown my sorrows alone. If the crew was going to accuse me of stealing rations should they spot me, at this point, I didn't care.

Jack watched Kate go and pulled out his compass. He was hoping and expecting the needle to point southwest, toward Bermuda, but instead, it pointed downstairs below deck, where Kate was hiding in the larder. Jack gaped in horror. He closed it then reopened it again. He was not pleased when the compass's direction did not change. His conscience was pricking at him to tell the girl the whole truth. But right now she was clearly very upset, especially with him! He wasn't in the mood to be slapped around right now. But the compass did not lie. "Bloody thing's broken." He muttered, snapping it shut.

"Jack?" Elizabeth spoke up as she came to him. Jack quickly shoved his compass into his pocket and whipped around to face her with a pasted smile.

"Aye, Lizzie?" He asked cheekily.

"Something went terribly wrong back there, and poor Kate looked as if she'd run into an undead ghost." Elizabeth said seriously.

"Been a most trying day for her, luv. Can't blame her, really." Jack offered casually.

"Jack, who is this Briggs really?" Elizabeth asked him tentatively. She could see that he was holding something back. "Kate wasn't clear about that. I want to know. You have a history with him." She told the momentarily timid pirate who was biting his nails. When Elizabeth was cross with him, he knew it was useless to argue with her.

"Well, suppose you'll know soon enough." Jack sighed in resignation. "Briggs is poor Katie's bloody, bad-tempered, long lost-should've been forever lost-very estranged, money grubbing older brother."

Elizabeth was completely dumbfounded. She was speechless. "What? What did you say, Jack?" Will gasped as he appeared out of nowhere.

"He says that Briggs is Kate's brother!" Elizabeth told him.

"That's not true!" Will argued. "I don't believe it. That malicious scrub? No, he can't be. His last name is Briggs."

"Was Summers once, till the young lad changed it." Jack corrected him.

"This doesn't make sense." Will shook his head.

"Ahh, most family quarrels don't." Jack shrugged and sipped his rum. Will didn't like Jack's nonchalant attitude and removed himself from the pirate's company.

"Jack, how can this be?" Elizabeth asked. She was just as appalled as Will, but she was notoriously curious no matter how angry she was.

"Long story, love." Jack moaned. "And I am not in the mood to have to repeat it but once, and now is not the time."

"So, that's why you agreed to this. You're trying to put right a wrong that Briggs did." Elizabeth smiled. "I'm proud of you, Jack. That is very noble of you." Jack merely smirked as she left him.

Elizabeth had found me and tried to console me then suggested I go to our cabin to rest. It was dusk when I finally decided to emerge from my hiding place and make my way up to the deck. I'd removed my dress and was back in my pirates clothes. I had to have a very pointed conversation with Jack, and I was sure neither of us were looking forward to it. But I couldn't avoid him forever. Besides, it wasn't his fault that Briggs had attacked me! As I'd had all day to go over the awful events, I realized if anything that Jack was trying to completely keep me out of the entire interview with Briggs. It still hurt and made me angry that Jack hadn't told me everything he knew about my family, but that paled in comparison to the fact that he'd tried to keep me safe. I owed him a thanks for that.

I saw Will, sharpening his knife as he sat on a box. "Will?" I spoke up.

"Kate, it's good to see you back out." Will said encouragingly. "How do you feel?"

"Some better, I suppose." I sighed. "Have you seen Jack? Do you know where he is?"

"Last I heard, Gibbs said that he was going to his cabin." Will replied.

"Oh. I really need to speak with him."

"Shall I fetch him for you?"

"No thank you. I'll wait." I mumbled and decided to wait up near the helm where I was sure Jack would eventually come up. I sat on a large coiled rope underneath a lantern where I could write in my diary and began struggling to put into the words the awful shock I'd learned today. It was still difficult to wrap my head around, and I wasn't yet ready to accept it as reality.

I was nearly asleep when I heard familiar footsteps climbing up the stairs and the quiet opening and closing of a compass. It was mostly dark up there, save for a couple of lanterns. I grunted as I shifted to sit up. Jack cocked his head in my direction. "Didn't notice ye there!" He sputtered. "Ye know, it's not wise to sneak up on a man when he's trying to steer a ship."

"So I scared you?" I asked.

Jack hardened his face. "Of course not." He said stiffly. "Just...caught me by surprise, that's all." I slightly chuckled. "You seem to be in better spirits." Jack noted.

"Not really." I sighed.

Jack nodded. "I'm sorry for what ye had to be put through today, luv. It's what I was trying to avoid altogether, though I didn't believe he would actually attack ye with a whip!" His words reminded me about my flogging and for some reason, now the drilling throbs returned.

"I'm not happy that I wasn't made aware of all the facts, but I do want to thank you, Jack." I said lowly.

"You do?" He gaped.

"I realized, especially after today, that you were only trying to protect me. That was something I didn't expect of you. Thank you." I suddenly felt shy and looked down at the deck floorboards.

"I knew Briggs might be rough on you if he found out, but I'm not in the habit of throwing a pretty lass like you to wolves like that!"

"Did he know I was with you?"

"Nay. He didn't know nothin', till his blockhead guards fetched ye all up to the house. How he found out, I don't know."

"It was this." I said sadly, holding up my necklace. "He noticed it then went all bizarre. That's when..." I stared at my hands, rubbing my diary all over, "That's when I saw that he was wearing it too."

"Mph." Jack sneered. "Briggs is one bloody cur, who looks at people as if they were cattle. I'd like to use his own bullwhip across his own hide, given the chance. Though I think Elizabeth gave him something to remember us by!" He said proudly. I breathed hard and stood up, clasping my bandaged arm that was still throbbing. I paced around, trying to clear my head.

"You told me this would get ugly, and that I'd learn things I wish I never did!" I sniffled.

"That I did. I seem to recall us having such a conversation." Jack agreed solemnly, nodding. I whipped my face around and I gaped at him in alarm, dumbstruck as another realization suddenly dropped onto me. Of course! How had I not seen it before? "What?" Jack shrugged.

"You!" I sputtered.

"Eh?" He cocked his head. He bit his lip nervously from the lightning-stricken look I was giving him.

"You! It...was you! Jack, you were the key witness!" I cried. "In the Marquis of the Midnight Moon case. You were the key witness that helped my father find the truth!"

"Took ye long enough to sort out that one." He teased.

"But why didn't you come forth? They could've granted you a pardon."

Jack rolled his eyes. Does this girl know nothing? He thought. "You are so young."

"Mr. Sparrow!"

Jack gave me a very pointed look. "Why do you think I didn't come forth, missy? Do you think I wanted to remain in that rotten fort? Aye, I knew the truth. And I would've more than gladly come forward and started spouting. But you tell me, lassie, you tell me just who is going to take the word of a scurvy pirate, in favor over a well-respected aristocratic figure who could have me head if I said the wrong thing? Eh?"

My face faltered as I began to understand his point. "Oh, of course." I mumbled. "You did say that the witness's testimony was thrown out once they learned his identity. Wasn't that what you told me?"

"Aye. But how did ye figure out it was me?" Jack narrowed his eyes.

"One little detail you've overlooked, Mr. Sparrow, when you told me about the case."

"Captain..." Jack groaned.

"It fits now. You said that the witness suggested the authorities look for a secret compartment inside the Marquis's carriage, for the papers regarding the slave trading. You told me that you'd tried robbing the man several times before and that he always arrived in the same handsome. How else would the police think to look in there, or how would the witness bring it up unless he already knew well about it?" I suggested.

Jack shook his head. "This is becoming rather creepy, lass. You're beginning to spook me." He said, feigning worry.

"I am?"

"I never realized till now just how much you and yur dear old dad really are alike!" Jack exclaimed. "You've got his discomforting knack for gathering facts and putting them together in a frighteningly fitting way!" He took a step back away for further emphasis.

"Uhh...is that supposed to be a compliment, or an insult?"

Jack grunted. "Merely a statement. You are right, luv. It was me."

"How come you didn't reveal this before? Did you think I wouldn't believe you?"

"Wasn't necessary." Jack said humbly.

"Did you know my br-Briggs?" I could not yet bring myself to acknowledge him as my brother.

"Only as a scoundrel barterer, luv." Jack said. "Captain Summers enlisted me to help him scour around the Cartwheel because..."

"He knew you and your shrewd knack for sneaking around and daring escapades." I smirked.

"Right." Jack nodded then frowned. "Oui, who's tellin' this story, you or I?" He puffed.

"Go on." I sighed.

"Anyway, you know about the ship of slaves, the Marquis' involvement and all."

"Yes."

"You can imagine the shock and dismay of Captain Summers when he realized Briggs' true identity. It wasn't pretty, luv." Jack said solemnly. I was not aware that Elizabeth was sitting below the stairs, listening. She didn't mean to eavesdrop, but she'd wanted to make sure that Jack and I were going to make up, and her curiosity had lured her in.

"Obviously not." I agreed. "It must have been dreadful."

"Briggs had no qualms of struttin' up out of the blue and flashing his stuffy, silver-tongued, new rank around. He really rubbed it in with yur dad. In fact, he snatched your father's necklace from his throat and hung it around his own bloody neck! Said it meant he was the true man in the family."

" Ohh. He said something awful like that to me too today. How did Father take it?"

"Not well, luv. Not well at all. The man was torn. But, he still had a duty to perform." Jack said grimly. "Aye, he discovered Briggs' involvement and was forced under his sworn duty to bring him in. But with the Marquis on Briggs' side, he wasn't worried, and rightfully, regrettably so. Of course, the courts wouldn't hear of it, and hardly paid heed to Captain Summers or meself. If it weren't for the records in evidence, they wouldn't have listened at all. The good captain knew I could get in and out of jams, unscathed...well, technically, most of the time. I was his snitch. Captain Summers offered me back my freedom. He'd even help me flee London, if I testified about what I knew and what I'd seen, including the murder of the young boy who tried to escape that bloody ship."

"But the courts wouldn't listen to a pirate, even if he was telling the truth." I groaned.

"Mmm-hmm. And bloody Briggs began threatening the two of us, especially yur dad. But in all of this, your father did not physically harm the misled scoundrel. Nah, he tried to reason with him. All in all, he only played dirty if Briggs ever so much as dared to make a threat against you or your mother. Which he did not, but Captain Summers still received his behavior as danger to all of you, especially with the way Briggs was able to stir up the crowds, get them on the Marquis's side. Captain Summers became an outcast, from the very people he was trying to serve."

"But he wouldn't give in, to the bribes?" I asked hopefully.

"Never, Katie. Never. He said to me, 'No time for trifles, mate'. That's what he said when he wouldn't back down about the slaves. He was devoted to his profession, and wanted nothing more than to free those poor devils being treated like animals."

"But he paid a price for it. So did you!"

"Me? Ehh. I wasn't worried about me. The night of the 'test' Briggs' men took me out of the jail and hid me in a wagon. But I could still see underneath the flap. And I saw, I watched as they dragged your father away, never to return. He looked at me before he disappeared into the foggy night."

"But you escaped?"

"Later on that night. Not the easiest run I've ever made, but it worked."

"Jack, what made Briggs so angry with Father? And did Mother know it was him?"

"I'm afraid, darling, that those are answers only your father can tell you." Jack sighed.

"And me. Do you know why Briggs hates me so much? Did I do something to him? But I was little then! I can't imagine doing something so horrible that he would hate me with such a vengeance." I said sadly.

"Not at all, luv! You were an innocent child. And I can tell ye right now that bloody, stupid Briggs is a real lunatic for not receiving a treasure like you back to his family!" Jack smiled. I feebly smiled back but stared at the ground.

"We have to find Father, or at least what became of him. What's left of him!" I exclaimed. "He didn't deserve this. Any of this! I owe it to him to save him!"

"Not alone, luv. We'll find him. Just trust old Jack, he knows." Jack boasted.

"Mmm-hmm." I nodded and finally grabbed my diary to leave. "Thank you, Jack, for what you did." I smiled tiredly.

"Today, or back then? You're welcome."

"Both." I nodded and trudged down the stairs to leave him to his steering.

"You're right. How did we not see it before?" Elizabeth met me.

"How much of that did you hear?" I gaped.

"Enough. I wasn't planning to, Kate. Please don't be angry."

"I'm not." I smiled.

"Let's get some rest for the night."

Kate's mind was whirling and it was difficult to get to sleep so she wrote some more in her diary. The puzzle pieces were slowly but surely coming together, little by little. At least now, the Black Pearl had her true heading! "Hold on, Father. If you're out there, please just hold on a little longer." She murmured. "We're coming for you!"

Two days later, the weather was peaceful again. Anamaria was at the rudder. Will was using the spyglass to spot any land, ships, or any unusual activity out on the ocean. Elizabeth and Kate were taking a breather after practicing their fencing together. Jack had been going over the maps in his cabin then emerged outside with a bottle of rum. Kate sauntered up to him. "Jack?" Kate grinned devilishly.

"What is it, dearie?" Jack asked suspiciously.

"Will you tell me a story?" Kate asked.

"A what?" Jack flinched, pretty sure he was losing his hearing. "I'm sorry. I believe I've got cotton stuffed in me ears. I'm sure I did not hear you ask me for a story."

"No, I did."

"Sorry, darling. Jack Sparrow does not tell bedtime tales to conniving youngins."

"You did not just say that."

"Every word."

"All right. Let me start again. Will you tell me about one of your adventures?"

Jack puffed out his chest. "Now that sounds more like it." He slurred smugly. "What would you like to hear about? The cursed Aztec treasure of Isla de Muerta?"

"I know that one."

"The wonders of China, the Fountain of Youth..."

"London." I said.

Jack frowned. "I have extremely unsavory memories of that place. Could you not pick something with a little more color, and appeal?"

"London. I want to hear about my father."

"What? I thought you wanted to hear about me." Jack pouted.

"Yes, you too. I'd like to hear about one of those times when you were trying to steal, and my father cut you off your guard with his unexpected arrival!"

Jack frowned glumly. "Could damage my reputation. A pirate still has his pride, you know."

"Tell me a funny one." Kate smiled. "Please?" Jack looked at her forlornly. So dramatic.

"Aye, Jack. Do tell!" Elizabeth prodded.

"I want to hear this." Will teased. Jack grimaced pitifully.