Short, but here ya go:

Chapter  16

It wasn't long after this that the Avenger had a ship placed on both its port and starboard side.

A board has been placed between one of the naval ships, The Morning Star, and the commandeered one. Though it appeared rather unsteady, several officers were crossing it to reach the pirate crew.

Among these men was Commodore Norrington, accompanied by another younger officer and a much older highly decorated one. The latter began searching through the line-up that his subordinates had gathered. His eyes fell on Elizabeth and his expression softened. Seeing this as an invitation to step forward, she walked up from near the rear of the crowd and to Jack's surprise, he embraced her.

The man's eyes moved to Gin and widened considerably. "Virginia!" he exclaimed, releasing Elizabeth and moving toward her. The other younger official standing at attention beside Norrington looked incredibly relieved when he heard the name. The older gathered Gin into his arms, even tighter than he had Elizabeth, then pulled back to look her over. "God be praised you're safe." He lifted her chin and turned her head sideways, as if inspecting her to make sure no damage had been done. "They didn't hurt you?"

She shook her head. "No, father," she assured him, not missing Jack's head jerking up at the title.

"Colonel," Norrington addressed him. When he turned to him, Norrington nodded in Jack's direction.

"Jack Sparrow," Colonel Harold stepped toward him and two other officers immediately rushed over to bind Jack's hands behind his back. "I might have known you would be the one to kidnap my daughter."

"Captain, if you please, sir," Jack corrected him.

"Father-" Gin began, grasping his arm.

"Not now, Virginia," He shrugged her off stiffly. "I want this crew down in the brig when we return to port!" he yelled at the men surrounding him. He turned to Norrington. "This one is to be hanged, is that understood?"

"Yes sir." Norrington gave an acquiescent nod.

"Father, you don't understand!" Gin practically yelled.

"Lieutenant Weiss, please escort my daughter and Miss Swann to The Morning Star."

The soldier that had entered with the colonel and was now standing beside Norrington stepped up and gently seized Gin's upper arm.

"No, Richard, wait!" She pulled out of his grasp and crossed the deck to Colonel Harold, noticing Jack staring at the Lieutenant behind her, evidently realizing who he was. "Father," she began, glancing at Jack, "This man did not kidnap me. He took me onboard his ship to escape the raid on Port Royal."

"First of all, this is not his ship. It belongs to the King's Navy." She opened her mouth, but her father cut her off. "Secondly. Whether or not he kidnapped you does not change the fact that Sparrow is wanted on every island in the Caribbean. Dead or alive. His posters are everywhere." He turned to face Jack and surveyed him with a look of unmistakable disgust. "If you so much as laid one finger on my daughter-"

"He didn't!" Gin cut him off.

"Lieutenant," Colonel Harold sighed, obviously exasperated with his daughter, gesturing for Richard to step forward. Understanding, her fiancé began guiding Gin away again, jerking his head toward Elizabeth, an indication for her to follow. Gin struggled at first, but a quick shake of the head from her friend reminded her that all that could accomplish was to worsen the situation and she let herself be dragged.

She turned to Richard as he led them carefully across the wobbly board between the two ships. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her eyes moving to her feet in an effort to keep them steady.

"News of the raid reached London," he explained, his grip on her arm tightening as the plank jiggled slightly. "Your father decided to come down as quickly as possible to aid in the search for you and Elizabeth."

When Gin stepped onto the deck of The Morning Star, she immediately turned back toward the Avenger, her eyes seeking out Jack. "What do you mean to do with Jack?" she inquired, feigning innocence.

"Captain Sparrow," Richard corrected pointedly, "will receive exactly what he deserves." He clasped his hands behind his back and suddenly her earlier stuffed-shirt comment regarding him flashed into her mind. "He has engaged in piracy," he continued, "and various other crimes, not the least of which was taking you with who knows what kind of intentions." He glanced from watching the colonel on the Avenger's deck to her. "And for those crimes, he will hang."

* * * * *

And the plot thickens!!!!