Disclaimer: Pretty standard if you catch my drift. I, the author, am just borrowing these characters without permission, with all intentions of returning them. Nor do I own the lyrics to Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves. So get off my case and go sue somebody else. I hear the doughnut shop is a good place to start. Pirates of the Caribbean ® All rights reserved, Disney 2002-03.

Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves

Chapter Four- Sleep and Run

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Ana moved to the beside table where she lit another candle, the flame offering a small amount of light, the shadows flickering on Jack's face. "So tell me about yourself, Captain Jack Sparrow."

Jack relished in the glow of his title she had addressed him with before turning to her. "There's not much to tell I am afraid."

The dark skinned woman gawked at him. "What, no tantalizing escape stories? No spun tales of pillaging or plundering?" she looked at him from across the room, her hands on her hips.

He didn't notice the look in her eyes as she watched him for he was too busy watching her, his own eyes glued to her body. The white shirt she wore clung to her, numerous spots wet from her damp hair, and the posture she was standing in wasn't helping matters any.

"If you keep on staring like that, I'll be forced to pluck your eyeballs out and feed them to the gulls," she teased.

Jack snapped back, a sheepish grin on his face. "As flattering as that offer sounds, I think I'm going to have to pass, thank you."

Ana shrugged as she sat at the edge of the bed, her gaze unmoving from his. "So what about you?" he asked breaking the stare. "Why don't you enlighten me about yourself."

She laughed as she craned her neck to study him. "Like what? You already know all my secrets."

"Do I?"

Standing up she shook a finger at him. "Don't play games with me, Sparrow. You know exactly what I am talking about."

"Perhaps," was his reply, "What I do know is that you're a gypsy and a damned good dancer. And you're obviously not easily persuaded by dashing men such as myself cause let's face it, most women can't resist the 'Sparrow Charm.' So… did I miss anything?"

"You forgot pigheaded, stubborn, obnoxious and daft in your description, Captain," she corrected.

Jack rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "So I have. But by all means, lass, far be it my wish to tell a strong, independent woman such as yourself that she is all of the above."

His remark would have surely merited a slap had she been in slapping distance, but instead he got a pillow to the face followed by laughter. "Do you really think I'm a good dancer?"

He shook his head with fervor, his trademark grin on his face. "Aye, a lovely damned good dancer at that."

"Oh now you're just kissing up!"

He shrugged. He was telling the truth, but Ana was a woman, they never believed a single word a man told them, even if it was a compliment. Although, he did think she was the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. Ok, scratch that thought, he cringed. Women don't like to be called creatures no matter how beautiful you think they are.

And Anamaria was a beautiful woman. At least in Jack's eyes, but it seemed, he was not the only guy who thought this. He saw the looks she got when she danced, when she walked into that bar. The looks he got when she talked to him. Yes, he had to admit, Ana was absolutely stunning- her deep brown eyes, the pouty lips, the slender figure, the legs-

My God the legs! Jack's mind pointed out.

"What are you thinking about?"

So wrapped up in his thoughts, Jack said the first thing that came to his mind. "How nice your legs are."

"What?"

His head snapped up warranting a crack of his neck as he stared her in the eye, "Um, h-how nice r-rum kegs are," he stuttered.

She moved closer to him, the expression on her face hard and cold. "That's not what you said," she stated, her eyes boring into his.

"Yes it is," he lied.

"No it's not," she chastised. "You said something about legs."

Jack paled. "I don't know what you are talking about. Me, talking about legs, how absurd."

Ana's eyes widened. "How dare you," she seethed. "I allow you into my home, help you and this is how you repay me? By lying to me, and bold faced no doubt!"

Caught red-handed, Jack absently pointed to the door, a forced smile on his face as he commented, "Oh wow, look at the time."

Ana took a step forward, her arm raising slightly causing Jack to tumble back cowering. "What are you doing?" she questioned, a smirk on her face.

"Don't hit me," Jack pleaded bringing a hand to shield his face.

The young woman tilted her head. "I wasn't going to. But maybe I should."

"Well if you weren't going to slap me then why all the-" he paused and mimicked her actions.

Ana huffed as she leaned forward, "I was going to do this," she started as she grabbed a fistful of his shirt bringing him closer. She lifted her other arm and Jack flinched, afraid he was going to find her fist connecting with his head; God only knew he had had his share in the slapping industry. Veering back, Jack panicked and made ready to make a break for it should Ana indeed take advantage of the situation and let him hold one.

Instead of her fist meeting his face, her fingers laced through his hair as Jack's whimpers were silenced suddenly by the sheer shock of the fact that Ana, THE Anamaria to be specific, was kissing HIM!

She quickly pulled back, a questioning look on her face as Jack murmured, "Well that was unexpected."

Ana gave an exasperated sigh of frustration as she playfully shoved him back. She turned on her heels, ready to give him space when his arm immediately snaked around her waist pulling her back, his lips lingering by her ear, his breath hot whispers on her neck.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Leaning into his grasp, she slowly craned her neck to face him, her lips hovering before his. "No where now, it seems," she replied. "Though it did look as though Captain Jack Sparrow had momentarily, been bested."

Jack grinned, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders. "Love, Captain Jack Sparrow will never be bested in a battle of wits."

Ana laughed as she turned to stare at him. "A battle of wits now, is it?" she tapped his shoulder roughly. "Then I'd say, it's a shame Jack Sparrow, that you have come, unarmed."

"That's Captain," Jack corrected as he gently pushed her back toward the small bed in the room. "And I'll show you unarmed."

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Waking up beside a grumbling, snoring, drooling body of warmth, was not Ana's idea of a 'good morning,' and far from the dream of it being peaceful, if at all. However, peaceful was not the case as she heard a familiar sound from the kitchen and she was sure she was cursed, if not being punished for having done what she did, or perhaps what they did. She blushed at the thought and then chided herself for being so childish as she jumped from the bed taking half the bed sheets with her at the same time.

Jack immediately sat up awakened by the commotion- or the draft he felt, to which, Ana was not sure. He watched her before swinging his legs over the side of the bed, his hands nimbly searching for the lost articles of his clothing strewn across the room. With an amused smile he finally asked, "Why you so jumpy?"

Ana turned around as she pulled on a long nightshirt, her face contorted in worry. "My father-"

"Won't have to know about this," Jack finished for her as he pulled on his trousers.

The dark skinned woman glared at him as she gathered his shirt and boots and shoved them into his arms. "No fool! My father is home," she whispered harshly. She pushed him toward the open window, her head every so often turning to the door. "Hurry, you must leave. He'll be up any moment now to wake me- it's market day."

Jack hopped around trying to pull his boots on, "Market day?"

"Yes! I don't have time to explain, just hurry."

The pirate captain teetered back as Ana once again ushered him to her open window. She stopped to pull on a pair of breeches along her way, leaving them unfastened in her hurry to spring Jack from his death trap. "Use the trellis to climb down," she pointed out as she herded him out the window.

Use the trellis she says, he rolled his eyes before stopping, a look of realization on his face. Now there was an idea, he thought. Why didn't I think of that last night! He stopped his escape momentarily and turned to look at her. "Will I see you again?"

Ana bit her lower lip as she cast a wary glance to her door. She opened her mouth to reply when she heard a voice from outside the room beckon to her. "Look for me in the market place," she offered.

The approaching footsteps alerted Ana to her father's appearance as she successfully got Jack out the window and watched him begin his descent down the trellis. Just as she was about to sigh with relief, she jumped back, startled to see Jack's face before her.

"What are yo-" she was cut off as Jack captured her lips in a last kiss, tipped his hat and shimmied down the trellis. She watched him pull on his shirt and walk away, relief filling her at the almost fumbled escape. There was a quick knock on her door before it opened and Ana turned to greet her father, a feigned smile on her face.

"Ana, up with the sun I see. Hurry now, we have much to do today."

Nodding her assent, she watched him leave before turning to see if the pirate captain had made his getaway only to find that Captain Jack Sparrow had already disappeared.

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Author's Notes: Ok, now this originally was a part of chapter 3, and as much as I am firm believer in 'long' chapters and such, this was just too long. So I had to mutilate it and make it two chapters, which in reality is better than just one long chapter because, the longer the chapters, the less chapters you all get to read and impatiently wait for.

And now on with our Review Thanks made possible by readers like YOU!

Cal- Yes, yes! More scraggly things to come, I assure you. I hope you had a nice and pleasant vacation and may the New Year bring even more enjoyable stories and scraggly things.

Childlike Empress- Thanks, and I agree! That's why Anamaria is so fun to write with, because no matter how you make her background, her heritage or her personality, it's never wrong because there is no definite proof of what her background/life was like.

Jackfan2- As much as it pains me to say this, Jack and Ana (the characters) are fiction, and I'm sure they won't mind where I leave them because it appears to me that Ana is just intent on slapping him for everything he does. Which is why it's funny.

The Sirius Sparrow- Again, thanks for the compliments and encouragement. And glad it was mysterious and suspenseful enough- that's what I am after.

Special Eddie- What's a little rum as back story to the Jack/Ana-ness too, eh? Always another vein to travel when one becomes clogged. Hope you got the 'gift' I sent you, and if so, I have another if you are interested. Custom made pictures- get 'em while they're hot.

Lykosdracos- Hi! Glad you are enjoying this as much as I am. Well… when it doesn't decide to be a pain and block me from any good ideas. -_- And maybe it's just me, but I can't seem to get your update on Chapter 7… will try another route. (kicks ff.net)

Soul, Peace 'n Chicken Grease-

-J