"I don't know, love," he said, uncharacteristically subdued. He tried to put an arm around her, but she shoved him away. Her eyes were over-bright. "Leave me alone, Jack! I don't want to talk to anyone just now!"

He held up his hands, defensive, palms out, and said carefully, "Well now, seeing as all of us are likely to be up on deck for a while, if that's your goal your best bet would be the forward cargo hold, down below. I'll just, ah, make sure everyone stays away, all right?"

She nodded and fled.

Jack sauntered over to the top of the stairs, listening for sounds from below. Distantly, he heard a crash and an oath so blistering he half- expected to see smoke curling into the air. He winced.

As Jess entered the hold, the full enormity of what had happened washed over her like the cold waters of the sea. The Bluefang was gone, her ship, her command, her LIFE was gone. Her freedom was gone. Jess fell to her knees, sobbing unrestrainedly, then leapt to her feet, snarling, and lashed out at a bulkhead with one hand, then the other. She screamed her anguish and frustration at the world, then fell to the floor, but was on her feet again in a moment, pacing. It shouldn't have happened! If she had been more careful, she'd still have the Fang... She cried out again, and began beating her fists against the unyielding wood once more, tears running down her face.

Up on deck, Jack strolled over to where Will and Elizabeth still sat on the deck, arms around each other. Jack stood over them for a moment, undecided, then reached down and tapped Will gingerly on the shoulder. "Listen mate, you can kiss her later. Right now, I need your help. Yes, now!" He seized a handful of Will's shirt and hauled him to his feet. "Now listen. Jess is down in the forward hold, and from what I can hear, she's in rather a bad way, but she doesn't want me near her just now. I want you to go down and talk to her for me." The expression on Will's face stated clearer than words what he thought of this idea, but Jack clasped his hands and said, "Please? She did save your life, you know, so she'd be unlikely to kill you now." Will nodded unhappily and headed for the forward hold. Jack gave him a jaunty salute as he descended the stairs, which he did not return.

Jess looked up when she heard footsteps outside the hold. She had been beating the wall for the past ten minutes or so, and had just given up and sunk to the floor, her hands torn and bloody, her back against the abused boards. Will stepped tentatively into the room, looking decidedly nervous. Evidently he'd heard her. At that point, Jess really could care less. In fact, his presence was downright annoying.

"If Jack sent you to see if the coast was clear, I'll kill him," she announced before Will could say anything. It was difficult to tell in the uncertain light of the lantern that swung overhead, but she thought she saw him blush.

"He did... sort of," said Will, looking somewhat bewildered. "He said you didn't want to see him, but he was worried about you, so he sent me to check, because he seems to think there was a good reason why you saved my life so you probably won't kill me now."

Jess nodded mechanically. "That's true, there is. It's called getting paid. Jack offered a good price for me to go to Port Royal and collect you, so I did. I expect he might have been a bit irritated with me if I had let his friend die, and I want my money. Simple as that."

Will's lip curled. "I don't believe you. There's more to it than that, and don't insult my intelligence by denying it."

For a moment, Jess's temper flared. How dare this man, this BOY, argue with her after what happened? Then she sighed, and the anger drained from her body. He dared because it concerned him, and she owed him an honest answer. She shrugged, and met his eyes for the first time since he had come to see her. "It's kind of stupid, actually," she said, prepared, against her instincts, to be completely honest. "It's... well, I like you. You remind me of Jack when he was your age, a bit. Although," she added, looking contemplative, "You're not half as strange as he was and is. You have a young woman who you love very much, who loves you more than life itself. My crew all like you, although you seem to be something of a standing joke with the Pearl's crew. Even Ana Maria approves of you, and she NEVER likes greenies. I guess I just didn't want to lose you."

He grinned somewhat sheepishly. "Thanks, Jess." He seemed to think it was safe to be within striking distance now, because he strode over and crouched down next to her, and began to carefully examine her battered hands. "You did a fair bit of damage here. I'll, uh, have Jack look at them when he has a moment," he said, trying and failing to sound innocent. "Why don't you, ah, go wait in his cabin, alright?"

Jess snorted in a most unladylike fashion. "Subtlety has never been your strong point, has it Will?"

He seemed to be embarrassed past words, and beat a hasty retreat, calling for Jack.

Getting to her feet without using her hands was a bit of a tricky operation, but Jess managed after a moment's effort. Holding her injured hands, which were beginning to swell, against her torso, she walked (carefully) to Jack's cabin and sat down on the edge of the bed to wait for him.

He swept in after she had been waiting no more than five minutes, and inquired teasingly, "What seems to be the trouble, then, love? Broken bones? Slit wrists or throat? Gunshot to the head, perhaps?"

Jess couldn't help but laugh a little as she held up her battered hands. "Nothing so exciting, I'm afraid."

Jack rummaged around in a trunk for a moment, and then emerged with some passably clean bandages and some kind of foul-smelling ointment in a small jar, which he applied liberally to her torn knuckles. His large, calloused hands were surprisingly gentle as he wrapped hers in bandages. "Jack?" she said timidly as he worked.

"Yes, love?"

"I'm sorry I shouted at you. What happened wasn't your fault. I'm sorry."

"Quite alright," he said cheerfully. "I'd probably have done worse had I been in your position. There," he added, tying a final knot in the bandage on her right hand. "Good as new." She flexed her fingers experimentally. Her situation was somewhat better than she expected. Her dexterity was only somewhat impeded by the bandages, and she noted with some surprise that she could probably still fight or shoot without much of a problem. She raised a hand to her nose and sniffed, wincing at the sharp, unpleasant smell, but whatever was in that ointment surely did work, because she felt no pain in either hand.

"Thank you, Jack," she said somewhat shyly.

"You're more than welcome, love." He put away the small bottle and the remaining bandages, then sat next to her on the bed, gazing at her with the utmost gravity and seriousness. "Now, do you think you could suffer through a bit of company until we reach Isla de Muerta? I would guess we're only a few hours away as the Pearl sails, after all."

Jess carefully tucked away a smile as she replied, with equal gravity, "Very well, Captain Sparrow. After all, what's a few hours?"

Jack winked. "What you make of them, love. What you make of them."