Disclaimer: do you honestly think I own POTC? I just own Anne.

Chapter Three: A Scar and Retold Adventures

Anne lay abed for a week and a half, which she considered quite a nuisance, and waited for Will to come home. When Anne woke up in the night from the pain, Mary held her hand and whispered words of comfort to her. Mary had no bed to sleep in, the other beside Anne was taken by an old man who, like Anne, woke up frequently in the death of night. The man, unlike Anne, woke from night terrors, screaming and shouting about 'walking corpses' or some other such nonsense. Anne would have assumed that these were just ramblings of an old man who was a bit touched in the head, if it weren't for the fact that many other residents of the infirmary spoke of such oddities as well.

Anyhow, Mary slept in an uncomfortable wooden chair, had naught left the infirmary but once, and then it was only to get a change of clothing for Anne and herself. Any other person would have stopped caring about Anne's well-being long ago, but Mary did not. She loved Anne like she was her own kin and wanted more than anything to help her to get well and to be there for her on the nights Anne couldn't contain the anguish which she felt from her wound and from her worries about Will. Oft, Anne would awaken from those worries and not the pain.

One rather hot night, Anne startled Mary into the waking world, grabbing her wrist and saying, "What if Will dies? What if we can't trust the pirate who is leading him to Elizabeth?"

"Don't worry," Mary soothed, "He'll be fine. Will is a good swordsman, one that could match and defeat any pirate. He'll be alright. Now rest easy, and sleep. Alright, Anne? Sleep."

As Mary stroked her sweating brow, Anne mumbled back to sleep, taking her jumbled thoughts with her.

************************************************************

"Mary … Mary …" Anne whispered the next morning as the awoke from the dreaming world.

"Sssh, it's alright," a man said. Was it the doctor?

"Anne slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the wood of the infirmary ceiling. Her eyes crept down to the right. A rather large new hat lay on the night table as did the owner's bandaged hand. A cool cloth dabbed her forehead as Anne looked up into the man's face. Tears filled her eyes.

"Will!" she sighed, smiling. "You're back! And in one piece!" Anne continued, bringing a chuckle from Will.

"Yes, not counting a few scratches, but I'm fine," he said.

"So what happened? I take it Elizabeth's alright?"

"Yes, she's fine."

"So what happened?" Anne repeated. "You aren't just going to leave me wond'rin' are you? Come on Will, tell it."

"Alright, alright. Well, after I had a word with Jack …"

Will relayed the entire adventure to Anne, stopping only to show her his hand, still bloody from last night's cut.

"You know, this whole thing has taught me how foolish I can be. Everything I thought about pirates has been righted by Jack, and the fact that my father was one. He's a good man, and a pirate."

"I'd like to meet this Jack fellow," Anne stated. "he sounds quite interesting."

"Unfortunately, you won't be able to," Will informed Anne.

Anne's smile vanished from her eyes.

"Why not?" she questioned.

"He's to be hanged in an hour. It's not right. If not for him, Elizabeth would have died," Will ranted. Then quieting, he said, "I owe him my life as well."

"Well," Anne squeaked, "it sounds like you know what you have to do, so I won't waste my breath on it. Though, frankly, I am a bit tired of all the heroics," Anne joked.

Will broke a tiny smile to his lips, got up from his chair and said, "Well, I best get started."

"Will," called Anne, struggling to her feet. "I'm coming with you."

"No."

"Yes."

"No. Your not healed yet, Anne."

"I know that. Now give me your coat so I can go home and change out of my nightdress."

"Anne!" exclaimed Will.

"Alright, fine, I'll go without your coat and half naked," Anne said curtly.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

************************************************************

Anne walked into the fort, her arm in a sling, and handed Will his sword.

"Good luck, Will, and come back from this, alright?"

"I will," he told her. "Stay to the back."

"Alright."

Will smiled and took off. Anne stood behind the crowd and listened. She couldn't see the gallows; too many heads blocked her view. Suddenly, Anne heard a thonk and a rattle, followed by screams and a rush for the exit of the fort. Trying desperately to hold her place, Anne felt somebody jar her wounded shoulder. She yelped as it happened a second time. Rather than let the frightened people reopen her wound, Anne followed the mob, away from her brother, away from his fate, and away from any chance of helping him. She submitted, letting the crowd take her where it willed.

Anne broke away from the pandemonium as soon as she could. She hurried to the naval dock. From there, she could see up to the fort. One soldier was there, but, as he was sleeping, he made no move to stop her. Anne raised a hand to her brow to shield the sun from her eyes just in time to see some projectile object fall off the coquina wall. She leaned over the dock's rail and gazed at a head bobbing up and down as its owner made his way to a ship with black sails. It was the Black Pearl. Jack was freed. Anne would have jumped up and down for joy of it weren't for her wounded shoulder. Then she remembered the guard. He still slept.

Anne left the dock and made her way to the governor's household.

A/N: Yes, I know this one was short and was yet another part of the movie taken from a different angle, however, the next chapter will actually begin the meat of the story. I already have it written, its just a matter of typing it up. Fizzle!