"I want to see her! I have to see her!" Thomas demanded to Commodore Norrington and his men. Norrington pursed his lips. He was getting annoyed with the foundling.

"It won't change things, young sir." He said dryly. "The law is the law."

"At least let me see her!" Thomas insisted.

"And just who are you, boy?" Norrington glared at him. "I don't recall seeing your face around here before."

Thomas held his head high. "I am her fiance." He said firmly. Norrington arched his eyebrows in surprise.

"Well, I suppose that does put a different light on it now, doesn't it?" He spoke cockily. "Very well. Show him to Miss Summers." Norrington told one of his men. "But no funny business, do you understand?"

"Yes." Thomas glowered at him.

Kate sat miserably on the dirty floor of her cell, in the corner, near the window. She'd been crying. What a waste I've made of everything! This is all my fault. Everything that's happened has been my fault. Well, I suppose I'm right where I ought to be. She thought with resignation. Then she heard footsteps approaching but she ignored them.

Thomas panted as he raced to the cell behind the soldier. He stood against the door. "Kate!" He called. Kate looked up at him and smiled sadly. She scrambled to her feet and ran to him. He reached his skinny arm through the bar and touched her face. She inhaled deeply at his tenderness. "Are you all right?" Thomas asked.

"I've been worse." Kate grinned feebly. "At least in here, I'm not chained to the wall!" Thomas grimaced. He hated picturing her like that back on the Cartwheel, chained up like a slave.

"You shouldn't be in here at all!" Thomas growled. "You haven't done anything."

"Well, I did agree to risk this if I lost the papers." Kate sighed.

"You lost them! You didn't confiscate them."

"How do you know if I did or not?" Kate groaned. "How do you know I'm not tha much of a pirate?"

"Kate, I know you." Thomas said emphatically."That's not you." Kate clasped his hand with hers, drawing the strength from it.

"Where are Will and Elizabeth?" She asked.

"They are with Elizabeth's father, the governor. They're trying to convince him to have the charges dropped against you." Thomas answered.

"I'm grateful for that. They've always been my best friends. And what about Jack?"

"What about Jack?" Thomas sputtered.

"Are they speaking on his behalf too? Is he going to get out of here, or is he going to hang?"

"Frankly, I don't know. And to be honest, I don't care what happens to him!" Thomas hissed.

"Thomas..." Kate frowned.

"No." Thomas cut her off. "You're in here, because of him! And he didn't say a word when they just threw you in here. He just stood there, like this was an every day thing! I don't appreciate that, Kate. Will and Elizabeth spoke up for you! But did he? Oh no. Of course not. That would mean he'd have to care about someone else besides himself."

"Thomas, Jack does care." Kate said calmly.

"Oh, really? Well, he has a fine way of showing it!"

"I know, I know." Kate rolled her eyes. "Most times, you don't know what he's thinking, or why or how he thinks the way he does. But, Thomas, Jack Sparrow isn't all bad. And he helped me do something I've always only prayed for, and dreamed of! He helped me find the truth about my father. And Jack didn't have to do that. He could've just accepted my deal to get him out of here, then went on his merry way. But he didn't! He stayed true to his word to help me. And you know what? He did it.

'And don't forget that he didn't throw you overboard! Oh, I was as mad as a hornet at him when he was bluffing so callously like that and thought he was actually going to kill you. I despised him for that...until I saw you and realized that he'd only been tricking your former captain. And he saved my life. And Will! At Whitecap Bay, remember? He could've sailed anywhere and left us to our own fate. But he didn't. He sailed all the way to that godforsaken island, and rescued us! I know he can be odd. Very odd! And self-absorbed, and flighty, and childish, and insane. But despite all that, he has been a friend. And he tried to give me back my father. He felt responsible for not doing it sooner. So...I thank God that now I have closure.'"

Thomas bit his lip. Sounds exactly what Elizabeth was trying to tell me. Oh, why can't I see passed all the idiocy and see him like that?

"I'm not going to rest till your out of here." Thomas said.

Kate barely smiled. "I love you, just Thomas." She murmured. "But, if things don't work out for us. If, I am to be hanged for helping Jack, I want you to know that I love you, and that I'm so thankful to have been part of your life, even for such a short time."

"Don't talk like that!" Thomas snapped. "You're innocent. You won't hang! I won't let them. We are going to be together, and make the world a better place. But first, we've got to get you out of here."

Kate nodded, hanging her head and crying. In her mind, she deserved to be in here. Her father was dead, thanks to her and her wild ideas. Her friends had been imprisoned, tortured, and nearly killed...all for her! She should be punished. "I love you." She whispered.

Will and Elizabeth appeared. "Kate, how are you holding up?" Elizabeth asked her friend. Kate shrugged.

"Oh, don't cry, Kate." Will said. "We'll have you out of here before you know it!"

"You mean the governor agreed to end this ridiculous miscarriage of justice?" Thomas asked.

"He's speaking about it with Commodore right now." Elizabeth said.

"Will? Elizabeth? Thank you...for everything." Kate said lowly. "You've been the best friends anyone could ask for. I'm sorry for all the trouble I got you into!"

"No, no." Elizabeth shook her head. "It was quite the adventure. And we saved a lot of lives. That isn't something to be ashamed of, Kate."

"And you got to know your father. At least, for a little while." Will added. Kate swallowed hard, trying not to cry again, but the tears slipped out. "Oh, I'm sorry, Kate." Will frowned. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, it's all right, Will. It's okay, really." Kate said. "And you're right. I wish I could speak with Jack, at least for a few moments."

"You leave that to us!" Elizabeth told her. "We're going to speak to him right now."

"Thomas, would you like to join us?" Will offered.

"Yes, I would!" Thomas agreed.

"We'll come back to see you." Elizabeth said. Kate nodded.

"Thanks." She mumbled.

"Everything will be all right, Kate." Will smiled. "I promise." Kate nodded then huddled back in her corner as they left.

Jack was lazily sprawled out on the floor of his cell, with arms behind his head, and his hat pulled down over his eyes, pretending he was sleeping. But he wasn't really asleep. He was thinking glumly under that tricorn cap.

Will, Elizabeth, and Thomas were appalled when they saw his much too easily relaxed position. "Jack!" Elizabeth blurted out at him.

"Eh?" Jack 'drowsily' peeked underneath his hat.

"Jack, sit up! We must speak with you." Will barked.

"Well then speak, matey." Jack sighed contentedly. "Oh, ye didn't happen to bring by a bottle if rum, now did you?"

"Not for you!" Thomas snarled through clenched teeth.

"Pity." Jack puffed out his lip.

"Jack! Stand up!" Elizabeth ordered him. Jack instantly sprang to his feet. He loved pushing her buttons, but when she was really mad, even the great Captain Jack Sparrow didn't want to bear the full brunt of her wrath.

"I'm standing, luv." He said.

"Jack, the governor is speaking Commodore right now. He's trying to convince him to let Kate go free." Will said.

"Is he now? Well, my congratulations to the bonny lass." Jack said sarcastically. "I don't suppose they'd be of a mind to consider the same for meself now, eh?"

"That is debatable." Will hung his head. "But your version of the events is what can make the difference between life and death."

"William, I'm starting to think that voyage had you sittin' in the sun too long." Jack teased. "In case you haven't noticed, pirates are frowned upon in these parts."

"Jack, Kate didn't lose those letters. You know it and we know it." Elizabeth spoke sharply. "You must tell Commodore and Father what really happened."

"Right." Jack laughed snarkily. "And then what? I get the noose, while the four of you ditsy lovebirds go fritter away with your vexing love lives. Ha, ha. Not likely."

"But, Jack! If you don't tell the truth, that you took the letters from her and destroyed them, Norrington said that Kate will have to suffer the consequences for helping you! And you know what that means!" Will begged.

"Then she'll be in very pleasant company." Jack shrugged.

"Jack Sparrow, if it weren't for these bars I would slap you silly!" Elizabeth yelled. "Kate agreed to Commodore's terms. That's why he is holding it to the letter. Because legally, there's no other way. And she kept her word. If you don't speak up, she'll be hanged!"

"What do you expect me to do, Lizzie? Huh? They won't listen to me. I'm a dishonest man. And a dishonest man you can always count on to be dishonest. My word won't do anything, except get my neck broken."

"You scumbag!" Thomas cried. "And here I was beginning to believe her, that just maybe you can care about others besides yourself. Kate said so! She said that about you! I knew I should've believed my gut and not listened to her." He said coldly, turning his back on the pirate.

Will and Elizabeth glared at Jack. He just pretended they weren't there as he watched the beanpole that Kate had begged and fussed at him to spare. Thoughts of her father came to his mind. He'd been willing to speak the truth before, but the courts had totally disregarded him because of his lifestyle. They didn't think a pirate could possibly tell the truth, let alone care for it. But his not speaking at all, all these years had given life the chance to be very cruel to Captain Summers. Jack had promised to look after Kate for him. So far, according to everyone else, he wasn't doing a good job. Could Jack Sparrow truly live with himself if he let the daughter of his old friend take the fall for something he did, when he could prevent it? He'd done it many times to other men, and for less reason. Jack frowned deeply.

"Like I said, mate. I'm a dishonest man." He mumbled sulkily.