Author's Note: Hello all! Here's the first part of Abby's journey back to Jack Sparrow. I've taken these next chapters fairly slow, just to convey the passage of time, but I hope it's not boring or anything like that. That's always the danger, I guess. Anyway, read and review – let me know what you think!

Chapter 8: The Jubilee

            If the ocean air had been chilly back in October when I'd boarded the Black Pearl, now it was downright frigid. The spray from the sea froze on the deck and the ropes, and the crew had to work hard chipping away at the ice that coated everything. They used everything from machetes to iron flat wear to break through; fortunately the ice was thin enough that it didn't put up much of a fight. I helped them as much as I could, as it was my fault they were out in this dreadful weather to begin with, and soon I became an honorary member of the crew. The camaraderie of the Jubilee was very different from that of the Pearl, where gruesome pirate's tales and crooked card games had bound me to the others in spirit. This ship was much more orderly and refined, and its soft-spoken Captain, Mr. Burke, was as unlike Captain Sparrow as any man I'd met in my short lifetime. One very notable difference in my second voyage, of which I didn't even become aware until two weeks out at sea, was that this time I was the only woman aboard. I missed Anamaria. Tough as she was, she had always conveyed a kinship of sorts with me simply because we were the only women aboard. I was alone in that respect now, and although I hadn't expected anything different, it made me sad. What upset me the most was remembering her face as I had last seen it: cold, unreadable, and resolutely unhelpful.

            I tried not to think about that day if I could help it, now that I was on my way back to the very people who had betrayed me. I spent several cold, sleepless nights on deck, questioning my motives for doing this. Why, really, was it so important for me to find Jack and the others again? The obvious answer was that I was in love with him, but that wasn't enough somehow. I had never been one to risk my own life and reputation for anyone, much less for any man. An easier explanation was Covington; I was ridding myself of him for good now, because surely he wouldn't dare chase me now that I'd stood up to him. Would he? But it still wasn't enough. Even if I was simply trying to get away from my "jealous suitor" as Jack had called him, there was an infinite number of places I could go to accomplish that feat. Why the Caribbean? Why had I chosen the one place where I knew I could find Jack again? Jack. . . Every time I thought of him, my feelings became confused and chaotic. On the one hand I longed to see him again, but on the other my heart still burned with rage at his betrayal. And then I found the most plausible reason for my voyage: I wanted to know why he'd done it. Why had he handed me over to Covington when he surely knew that man and others like him were exactly what I'd been running away from? Why had he calmly surrendered me when he and his crew could have easily beaten Covington in battle, if it had come to that? And why had Anamaria quietly stood by and done nothing when she had been the one who had led me to the Black Pearl in the first place? I needed answers, and I knew I couldn't rest until I found them.

            One day Mr. Burke approached me just as the sun was rising. It was a little warmer now, so I knew we were further south.

            "We're straight on course, m'lady," he said cordially, "Makin' excellent time too – we're a good bit further along than I'd have expected. Yer good luck for my ship, I'm certain!"

            I smiled, but didn't say anything. All was quiet for a moment, then Mr. Burke spoke up again, this time more gingerly.

            "Actually, miss," he said, "What is it in the Caribbean that has ye in such a rush to get there, if ye don' mind me askin'?"

            "I don't mind," I told him, "But I can't tell you everything, I'm afraid."

            "Oh, well o' course ye can't."  

            Mr. Burke ducked his head meekly and started to turn away.

            "It's all right," I called after him; he turned back, "I have unfinished business out there. I have a score to settle, with a pirate captain. But that's all I can tell you."

            "Unfinished business with a pirate?" he asked incredulously, "Ye gads, I knew ye were brave, miss, but –"

            "That'll do, sir. I'm glad to hear we're making such good time. Do you have any idea when we'll arrive?"

            "Should be within the month, maybe later. It won' be long now!"

            "Wonderful. Thank you, sir."

            Mr. Burke didn't question me again, and I felt a little guilty for putting him off but I was grateful. We arrived at Port Royal four weeks later, just as Mr. Burke had predicted. We stayed ashore for the night to get acquainted with the town and decide on our next plan of action. Mr. Burke and his crew were of the mind to stay for the remainder of the winter and then make their way back towards England before the weather became stiflingly hot, and I didn't blame them. I gave Mr. Burke his twenty gold pieces – I had given him the other ten just after we'd gotten underway – and left him to his crew. I had to think some on my own before I made my next move.

            I wandered into a cozy little tavern, got myself a mug of hot cider and found an empty table where I could mull things over in peace. Well, I'd made it. I'd bought myself a place on a good ship and made it all the way to the Caribbean Islands, and it was now well after the New Year. I had no doubt that Sparrow's crew had had an easier time of it than we had, given that they'd sailed much further south beforehand and spared themselves the trouble of dealing with the ice. I was sure they would be here somewhere, but where to start? I supposed I could ask around and see if anyone had seen the Black Pearl come into port, or at least find out where it was docked. Still, knowing Jack, he would probably make a point of keeping himself and his crew fairly scarce in order to avoid attracting any unnecessary attention. That's when I realized I hadn't thought this through very well. I had done the first bit brilliantly – getting across the Atlantic, that is – but at this point I was lost. I didn't know any of the streets or the geography of the area and the only sailor I knew was Mr. Burke, and I reckoned I'd asked enough of him already. I sipped thoughtfully at my cider, wondering what on earth I was going to do next. Before long my mug was empty, and I was just deciding to leave the matter alone until morning when I heard a familiar voice.

            "That en't Abby Jackson!"

            I looked up, towards the bar.

            "Anamaria!"

            I sprang to my feet and we shared a huge embrace, then she sat down across from me at the table.

            "I can' even tell ye how glad it makes me to see ye here," she said, "The ol' blighter was right!"

            "What are you talking about?" I laughed, "What old blighter?"

            "Jack, o' course! Listen, first off I want to apologize on behalf of meself and the rest of the crew. I near took Jack's head off when he let ye go – it took four of our heaviest to hold me back."

            "Is that right?"

            "Ye better believe it, love. I've never been so angry at that man. Except just after he stole my ship, but that was a bit different. I'd have gone after ye meself, and I weren't the only one, but Jack wouldn't have it."

            "Why not? And since when would that make any difference to you? I thought a woman's tongue was stronger than any fist."

            "Don't you be tellin' me what I shoulda done. Yer a smart girl, Abby, but there's much ye don' understand. Ye never cross your captain – it's the same for any sailor."

            "So you just blindly follow orders, is that it?"

            The rage was coming back now, and in full force. I had forgotten it because I'd been so glad to see Anamaria again, but now I remembered why I had come here – I wanted answers, and I wouldn't settle for anything less than the truth. Anamaria's face darkened; she probably hadn't counted on my being so upfront about my anger, because I'd been so docile before.

            "I understand yer angry," she said evenly, "But I can't give you all the answers at once. If you want to understand why we let ye go, you'll have to be patient."

            I took a deep breath; she was right, of course. I would have to let her tell the whole story, and I'd have to let her do it her way.

            "All right," I said, "I'll be patient."

            "Good. Now the first thing ye need to understand is that we couldn't do anything while Covington was still aboard, not unless Jack told us to. That part I understood straightaway; if we were goin' to come after ye, it would have to be later on so we could catch that oafish suitor of yours off his guard. What we hadn't counted on was not goin' after ye at all, even after that ship was outta sight. That's when I near took Jack's head off, and then he told us at least partly what he was plannin' to do. He seemed to think ye'd find yer way out here sooner or later on your own – he said that ye knew it was our plan to make for these isles after the New Year, and he expected ye'd follow us if ye could. And he was right, turns out! Some of us were skeptical o' course, me included, but we did as he said and kept on course. He's never led us wrong yet."

            "So, it's like a military operation I suppose – trust your leader against all odds, no matter what."

            "No. See, a military operation calls ye to trust yer leader even if he don' deserve it, before ye even give him a chance to earn it. Jack, now, he's earned it."

            "And he's never wrong?"

            Anamaria smiled.

            "Not anymore," she said.

            I smiled. But something still troubled me.

            "Anamaria," I said, "I still don't understand what made him so sure I'd come out here. I mean, I didn't even plan it myself until weeks after Covington took me. And why didn't you just come after me while I was aboard the other ship? Surely you lot could've taken Covington's men easily."

            "Ye'll have to ask Jack to find out all that, I'm afraid."

            "Well, where is he?"

            "Not far off, but he's not on this island. He's gone off to Tortuga to catch up with some old friends of ours – Will and Elizabeth Turner. You remember?"

            "Yes, of course! That's why you came here to begin with, isn't it?"

            "Aye, it was."

            "Well, why aren't you with them? Didn't you want to catch up with the two of them as well?"

            "I've done it already, and now I'm goin' on my way."

            "You're sailing away already?"

            "Aye – Jack's bought me a ship! Would ye like to see it?"

            "Oh, I'd love to!"

            Anamaria led me outside to the docks and showed me the ship Jack had finally given her. It was wonderful – not as majestic as the Pearl of course, but it was a perfectly respectable vessel. She had decided to name it the Deliverance because it gave her the freedom to sail wherever she wanted, and also because it freed Jack from his old promise to get her a ship, now that he'd fulfilled it. It was a good sign as far as I was concerned – Jack was a man of his word, if nothing else. Anamaria offered to take me to Tortuga before setting off herself so I could have a word with Jack, and so the next morning we set sail with the crew she'd assembled. It was a slow, leisurely sail – we weren't in any hurry, and the other island was close-by. I asked Anamaria what she planned to do now that she had her own ship.

            "I might stay here a bit longer, now that you're here," she said, "And after that. . . I dunno. I could do anythin' I suppose – the ocean is mine!"

            "Won't you be sad to leave the Black Pearl though?"

            "Sad? I'll miss some o' the crew, and Jack of course, but I wouldn't say I'll be sad. As I've told ye before, a pirate's first love is the open ocean, an' the only way to reach it is with a good ship. One's own ship. No, Abby. I'll be sad to leave the rest of 'em behind, but I been missin' me own ship for far too long."

            As she spoke she looked out over the bow at the horizon, and I saw that same look of tranquil ecstasy that I'd noticed in Captain Sparrow aboard the Pearl. It was a beautiful thing to watch, but I couldn't quite identify with it. I wasn't a pirate after all; I supposed I'd never really understand what it felt like to command one's own ship. I felt a great divide between Anamaria and myself in that moment, and I realized then that I would never reach a true kinship with her unless I became a pirate myself.