Disclaimer: Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Pinky?

    It's time to go get 'The Two Towers' on DVD or VHS?

    No, we're going to take over PotC!

    No we're not.

    We're not?

    No, it's owned by Disney.  We don't want to mess with them.

A/N:  smile  I miss Pinky and the Brain!  I also miss the movie since I haven't seen it since August.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Last Time on PotC Fantasy Hour:

   "Enough."  The single word was spoken with the tone of a man accustomed to making himself heard over the elements.  Miraculously, ever single child, from the oldest, right down to little Zoë, heard and obeyed the command.  Jack looked up from the scene before him, right into the hard blues eyes of an old man.

   "You must be this Captain Sparrow I've heard so much about.  I make you welcome to my home."

----------------------------------------------------------------------

While Henry Morgan was a man of ninety or so, his mind and his eyes were still as sharp as they had been when he was a captain on the open seas.  The grip that he took Jack's hand in was firm, although not as strong as it had been years before.  He had silvery hair and a neatly cropped beard to match.  Looking at him, Jack found himself thinking of silver-tongued devils.  This is a man who is used to having his every word respected as law.  "Aye, Captain Morgan.  I'm Jack Sparrow."

   Winn grinned when Jack failed to insert his preferred title.  Whether it was out of respect or cautious fear of Grandfather, it was the right move.  Grandfather doesn't call anyone 'Captain' unless he feels they've earned the honor.  She was standing near Jack thinking that perhaps she could rescue him should Grandfather become unpredictable.  Out of all his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Winn held a special place in her grandfather's life.  On a certain level, they understood each other, although Winn still could not fathom what he wanted with Captain Sparrow.

   She shifted on her feet, thinking, What is it that he wants?  Having distracted herself, it was something of a shock to look up and find herself the center of Grandfather's attention.  She froze, knowing very well the old man's views on fidgeting.  Standing up straight, she was careful to wipe all emotion from her face as he started to prowl around her, noticing every change in her appearance.

   "I see you've finally rid yourself of those ridiculous spectacles.  Why?"

   Winn knew that she needed to remain formal until Grandfather made some sign to the contrary.  "I found that I no longer had a need for them, Grandfather."

   The old man nodded curtly, glad to see that Winn was as still able to tuck away her feelings – it was a skill he valued.  Emotion, unless there was some purpose it could be turned to, was weakness, and weakness was a vulnerability until one had someone to watch your back.  He had already decided that it was high time she had someone to watch her back.  If all went according to plan, she would taken care of before she left at the end of the week.  It was now a question of who she would be leaving with.

   Deciding to ease up on the girl, Morgan turned his attention to her hair.  "What in the blue blazes have you done to your hair?  I send you out to complete some business for me and the next thing I hear is you've managed to get yourself shanghaied, and now you come home looking like a boy.  What's gotten into your head?"  While the words sounded gruff, they were said with affection. 

   Smiling, Winn curtsied and came over to hug her grandfather.  "Nothing's gotten into my head, Grandfather.  It's what's come off my head that matters."

   "Are you bein' impertinent, girl?"

   Winn cast her eyes down and meekly said, "No Grandfather – merely spirited."

   Morgan threw back his head and roared in laughter.  "That's what I want to hear.  It's glad I am to know that your recent adventures with this scoundrel haven't changed you, Winnie."  Sizing Jack up with his eyes, he asked, "He didn't take any liberties, did he?"

   "No Grandfather."

   "Hmph.  Not such a scoundrel then."  For some reason that Winn couldn't even begin to guess at, he looked disappointed.  "When I was a pirate I wouldn't have passed up the chance to at the very least kiss a pretty piece of muslin."  Turning to Will, who was standing with Elizabeth and watching the entire scene with amusement, Morgan demanded, "What say you, lad?"

   Will looked at Jack, smothering a grin when he saw how discomforted the pirate was by the old man.  "I say, are we sure he's not a eunuch?"  When Jack glared at him, Will widened his eyes in mock innocence.  "What did I say?"

   Winn smothered a laugh of her own.  Turning back to her grandfather, she said quietly, "I think you've intimidated the man enough for his first meeting with you, Grandfather.  It's not everyday you meet a living legend.  If you will excuse me?  I'd like to greet my brother and sister as well as our other guests."

   "Go on."  Morgan went off to inspect the rest of his newly arrived family.  Shaking her had at the old man's good natured orneriness, Winn greeted her middle brother and sister after making sure that Jack was safe in the company of Will and Elizabeth.

   "Freddy, it's good to see you safe and sound." Richard said.  "Sarah and I got word of your little adventure from Grandfather." 

   "Mmm . . . little adventure indeed.  I'm guessing that Marcus hasn't said a word about any of it yet?" Winn asked as she hugged her brother's wife, who was mute from a childhood disease.  Sarah reached up and fingered Winn's shortened tresses, nodding in approval at what she saw.

   "Oh no, he told us how you swam from Captain Sparrow's ship to Ry's.  After that, we decided that he must be lying to us because we all know what a horrible swimmer you are . . . ."  Winn smacked her brother.

    "I resent that."

    "You can resent the truth all you like, that still doesn't change the fact that you can't swim."  Richard had always been the one person in the family who could get her to laugh no matter how bad she was feeling, so she was willing to overlook the fact that he was giving her a hard time.

   "That's it.  I'm ignoring you right now.  Sarah, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go talk to Will and Elizabeth.  You are free to join me."  Winn left her brother laughing behind her.

   Coming up behind the group that included her two friends, Winn heard Elizabeth comment, "Really Jack, you're looking almost respectable."

   Before Jack could insist that she use his title, Winn stated, "Well, you know what they say about appearances."  The three turned to look at Winn as she came up.  "Lizzie, Will, good to see you again so soon.  Not to sound unwelcoming, but what are you doing here?"

   "I don't know.  What happened to your hair?"

   "It's not nice to answer a question with a question, Elizabeth Turner."

   "Only a respectable person would care about such things."

   "Are you saying that I am not respectable?"

   "I'm saying that you're just respectable enough not to get yourself hung, and past that, it's anyone's guess.  And you're avoiding my question."

   "Yes, well, you started avoiding mine first, so I see no point in ceasing to evade answering your question."

   Jack and Will looked at each other and started to sidle off, not wanting to get caught up in womanly nonsense.  Once they were a good distance away, they struck up their own conversation.  Elizabeth turned back to Winn after watching her new husband leave.

   "Okay, spill it."

    Winn looked nervous.  She didn't like the gleam in Elizabeth's eyes at all.  "What do you mean?  Spill what?"

   "Has my memory failed me?  I seem to remember a certain someone muttering  'I simply can't excuse the man's behavior . . . I don't like him because he's pushy, he enjoys annoying me, he dug into my past, he's rude, has no concept of personal space, I don't like him, and I don't like the way the man dresses.'  Wasn't that you?"

   Blast her good memory.  "Yes . . . I said that.  If you remember all that so well, why are you asking whether I said that or not?"

   "Because you, miss I-never-met-a-guy-I-couldn't-dislike, were flirting."

   Winn gasped in indignation.  "I was not."

   "Yes you were."

   "Me, flirt with Jack Sparrow?"

   "Oh, yes."

   Winn closed her eyes in denial.  This is not good.

"So, Jack–"

   "Captain, lad.  Captain."

   Will just looked at Jack with a look that said, yeah right.  "So, Jack, I hope you're not upset over that "eunuch" crack.  If you are, just remember that you're the one who started it."

   "Why would I be upset about something that can easily be disproven?" Jack grinned devilishly.  "If I were to say the same thing about you, would Elizabeth be able to disprove it?"

   Will blushed, but refused to back down.  "What do you think?"

   "I think you're finally a man."  Jack glanced past Will to where the women stood having a heated debate.

   Noticing that Jack was distracted, Will turned himself, trying to discover what had caught Jack's attention.  What he found was his bride and his friend.  What have we here?  "Not all treasure is silver and gold, hmm?"

   Jack looked at Will with unreadable eyes.  "I have no idea what you're talking about, mate.  I must admit that you have a very fine woman there, even if she doesn't like rum, but I wouldn't dream of seducing the wife of a friend, even if–"

   "We both know that wasn't the treasure you were sizing up.  She's a friend, Jack.  Be nice." 

   Jack studied Will's eyes, seeing the seriousness and the warning in them.  The boy is growing up.  Instead of answering, Jack merely nodded his head in comprehension, then turned back to watch the two women.

The rest of the day passed quickly.  The new arrivals were ushered up to the main house in a cluster of children and talking relatives.  Morgan had sent out men in longboats to retrieve the possessions that his guests would need.

   Winn found herself in her room, her brothers and their families occupying the majority of the rooms on the same floor.  Jack, Will and Elizabeth had been placed in consequent rooms, Jack's being at the very end of the corridor, about as far away as possible without putting the man on another floor altogether.

   The hours until the traditional formal dinner were passed relatively fast, for Winn at least.  She was promptly cornered by all fourteen of her younger relatives, and was forced to spend several hours telling stories, riddles, and jokes.  Around four in the afternoon, their parents came by to collect their children to change for dinner, giving Winn a chance to also change.

   Standing in front of the full length mirror in her room, Winn looked at herself.  She was clothed in a dress made of jade green silk.  The color of the fabric heightened the dusky color of her own skin and contrasted nicely with the blue in her eyes while making the green stand out in an understated fashion.  A strip of ribbon, a shade lighter than her dress, held her hair out of her face.

   Eyeing the sleeves and bodice of the dress (which was once again lower than she preferred), she wondered why dressmakers felt a need to swathe their creations in masses of lace.  Sighing, deciding that there was no getting out of the meal, she put on freshwater pearl earrings and a matching bracelet.  She was studying the cosmetics laid on the vanity wondering where Grandfather had gotten the idea that she'd ever wear the stuff, when a knock came on the door.  "Come in."

   Elizabeth entered.  Garbed in a champagne colored dress she looked every inch the governor's daughter, as usual; beautiful, graceful, self-assured.  "Oh, you look beautiful.  Are you ready?  Will and I thought we'd walk downstairs with you."

   Trying not to compare herself to her prettier friend, Winn held her hands out from her sides in a gesture of resignation and said, "I suppose I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

   The two women left the room to meet Will in the hallway.  He held out both his arms to offer escort, and the women took them.  Before they could reach the landing, however, a voice stopped them.  "Now Will – I'm sure I taught you about sharin'.  So how is it I come out here to find you hogging all the pretty ladies?"

   The threesome turned.  There was Jack emerging from his room, dressed in clothing loaned from Ry (he refused to accept it outright).  Ooh.  He looks very nice.  No, bad thought, focus on something else.  Winn was in the midst of a crisis.  She suddenly realized that she was more than just a little attracted to the pirate.  Maybe it was the lack of braids in his beard.

   "You're staring, Winn."  At Elizabeth's comment, Winn jerked her eyes away from Jack and focused on the carpet underneath her feet.

   Will not noticing Winn's faux pas, said, "The only thing you ever taught me to share was trouble, and there always seems to be more than enough to go around whenever you join company with us.  I wonder why that is."

   "It must be that you attract trouble."  Jack came up and bowed semi-mockingly to the women.  "Mrs. Turner, Miss Morgan.  It's lovely to see you tonight."

   "Come off it Jack," said Will laughing.  "I think that Elizabeth and Winn have spent more than enough time in your company to not be charmed by you."

   "Sadly, you might be right.  It's hard to be charmed by a lowly pirate when you have the opportunity to be squired about by such a handsome blacksmith."

   Winn and Elizabeth shot amused glances at one another.  "This is interesting," commented Elizabeth.  "How long do you think they can keep it up?"

   Winn tilted her head to one side and studied the two men judiciously.  "Well . . . I don't know about Will, but Captain Sparrow is certainly able to talk for extended periods of time, often without pausing for breath.  I think they could theoretically keep this up until the end of the week."

   "Wench!  Keep a civil tongue in your head!  I will not have my person slandered–"

   "Then stop saying things worthy of slander, Captain."  Turning to Will, Winn said, "If we may go downstairs to dinner before the food goes cold?"

   "Not so fast.  I still seem to detect a grievous imbalance of pretty women."

   "Here, take Elizabeth."  Both Jack and Elizabeth were about to protest this pairing, but Will ignored them.  "She should be relatively safe in your company.  I'm not so sure about Winn."

   Jack pulled his head back, acting as if he had been greatly insulted.  "Nonsense, I'm as harmless as a newborn babe."

   "Yes.  That the newborn is a shark is of no consequence whatsoever."

   "Winnie, you've damaged my fragile ego."

   "If your ego were any more fragile, it would be as tough as diamond."

   Elizabeth interrupted before this could go any further.  "I think it's time we went downstairs.  Captain Sparrow, if you would be so kind as to lead?"  And with that, the foursome descended the stairs to go to dinner.

"Ooh, Richie, you remember that time, when we did that . . . that thing, and we ended up runnin' from a swarm of bees for . . . oh, it must'a been two miles?"  Things had degenerated from a stately dinner, to an all out drinking competition sometime after the children had been excused from the table.

   "Yeah.  What had we been doing?"

   Winn screwed up her face, trying to remember what had caused that little incident.  "I can't remember."  Picking up a nearby bottle of rum, she took a swig – one of many that evening.  Jack had to admit through his own rum infused brain that Winn was rather adorable when drunk.

  Memory flooded back with almost a physical sensation.  Winn stood up, and then quickly found herself sitting again, unable to stay on her feet.  "I remember.  We were tryin' to smoke them out of the hive, but accidentally caught it on fire, and then they came after us.  Mum was so mad."  The two siblings laughed at the memory.

   Making a face, Winn abruptly stopped and staggered to her feet.  "I think I've had enough to drink.  It would pro'bly be good if I went to bed."  Winn nodded in agreement with herself.  "Yes, I like goin' to bed."

   Jack stood up, none too steady himself, but more aware than Winn was.  It wasn't a bright idea to be too drunk in unfamiliar territory.  "You need help?"

   Winn weaved on her feet for a moment, considering the offer.  "Help, help."  Looking at Jack vapidly she said, "You keep offerin' to help me go to bed.  Don't you?  I'm so confused."  In a confiding tone, she said to him, "I think I drank too much.  It's Richie's fault."

   "Tis not!"

   "Uh-huh!  You're the one who keeps bringin' rum to these reonions, removins," pausing, Winn carefully enunciated, "reunions.  Yes, you're the one who brings rum to reunions.  He-he, rum to reunions!"

   Taking Winn's arm, Jack started pulling her out of the room.  "I definitely think it's time you were in bed, Winnie."

   "Umm . . . are we talking about getting in my bed?"

   Oh lord, tell me she didn't just say that.  "Yes, Winnie.  Your bed."

   "Oh . . . that sounds nice."  Jack rolled his eyes.  You have no idea.

   After several minutes, and a rather difficult trek up the stairs, Jack managed to deliver Winn to her room.  That should have been the end of it, except he couldn't get Winn to go into her room.

   "Com'on, luv.  You need to sleep off the rum."  Jack was trying to detach Winn's head from his chest for reasons that were almost beyond him.

   "Don' wanna.  You smell good."  Somewhere between her eighth and ninth shots of rum, Winn had started to lose control of pretty much all her higher levels of thinking.  Now that she was thoroughly and painstakingly drunk, all she wanted to do was hang on Jack like her younger nieces and nephews hung on her.

   And while this would have been fine with Jack under normal circumstances, there was no way he was going to be able to stay with Winn when her mind was so addled by alcohol.  "No, luv.  You need to go into your room alone."

   "Why?"  Winn was starting to sound petulant, which was nearly as adorable as a confused Winn.

   "Because that would be a good idea."

   Apparently this made some kind of sense to her.  "Oh . . . then I guess I should do it.  What am I doin'?"

   "Going to bed."

   "Oh, right.  Bed."  Winn started fumbling with the laces of her dress right in the hallway, much to Jack's surprise.  Her fingers weren't cooperating with her brain, so she wasn't having much luck.  "Dratted laces."  She looked up at Jack.  "Help me?"

   This is not happening.  This can't be happening.  Jack looked up and down the hallway – it was deserted.  Most of the family that was not already in bed was still downstairs getting drunker.  Will and Elizabeth were in their room – Jack absolutely refused to knock on their door.  "Fine."

   Shoving Winn into her room, Jack closed the door and spun Winn around, which proved to be a mistake when she nearly fell over.  Hooking an arm around her waist, Jack quickly unlaced her dress and the corset underneath it.  Letting Winn go, he tried to leave, but was stopped by Winn herself.

   Winn knew that she wasn't quite as drunk as she appeared.  Yes, she was having difficultly walking, talking, and remembering, but her thoughts were only mildly fuzzy.  Just fuzzy enough for me to do this.

   Wrapping her arm around Jack's neck, she brought the other hand up to run across his neatly trimmed beard.  "I like it.  Those braids were very piratey, but not very attractive.  Now you have just enough facial hair to look dashing."

   "Dashing?"  Jack was trying hard to ignore the fact that he had a half dressed, barely aware Winn in his arms.

   "Mm-hm."  Now she was smoothing his mustache.  "Dashign.  It's a good word."

   Jack was wondering how he was supposed to reply to this, but Winn destroyed any hopes of that with what she said next.  "Jack?  I think I want to kiss you."

   Staring down at her with wide eyes, Jack saw in her own that she was conscious of what she was saying.  That she was completely aware of what she was asking for.  That look in her eyes destroyed any intention of leaving quickly that he still may have harbored.  In a gravelly voice he said, "If that's what you want, luv, then I suppose you should do something about it."

   Winn nodded, her head tilting, eyes shutting halfway.  Running the fingers still on his face over his lips, she sighed, and kissed a man for the first time in her life.  It was a soft, hesitant kiss, no more than a soft pressing of lip to lip.  Winn sighed again, and brought herself up on toes.  This time, Jack met her halfway, and the kiss quickly grew in intensity.

   After a minute or two, Winn realized that she had been backed into the door, that Jack's hands were settled firmly on her hips, and that his kisses were starting to trail down her jawline towards her neck.

   "Umm . . . this may not be a good idea," she breathed, most of her mind focused on the pleasant feelings stirring inside her.  "Possibly even a bad idea."

   "Yes, very bad."  Jack was kissing the indentation behind her ear, his mustache and beard tickling the rarely touched skin there.

   "I'm serious, Jack.  This could get . . . ow . . . inconvenient."  Winn had said "ow" because Jack had nipped at the skin of her neck.

   "Very."  He was still kissing her, knowing he should stop, but not yet ready to.

   Tilting her head back so he could better access her neck, Winn said, "We should stop."

   "Aye."

   Winn noticed that despite his affirmative agreements, Jack was doing nothing that resembled stopping.  Why do I want him to stop, again?  "Why aren't you stopping?"

   Returning to her mouth, he whispered, "I'm a pirate.  I like bad ideas."  That was the last talking that either of them did for some minutes.  While Jack found Winn's mouth fascinating – even when it was hurling barbs and insults, especially when it was hurling barbs and insults – he was eager to taste the inside of her mouth.  Gently, as to not alarm her, he nipped on Winn's bottom lip.  She gasped, parting her lips in either retaliation or invitation, but Jack refused to wait to find out which.  His tongue surged forward to tease and caress her own.  She made a mewling sound, obviously surprised and pleased by this new development.

   Finally, when Winn thought her lungs were going to expire from a lack of oxygen, Jack pulled away, briefly nipping her lip one last time.  He rested his forehead on hers; breathing heavily in much the same was she was.  Pulling his head up, Jack was starting to say something when the door pushing open surprised both of them.  Moving out of the way, they watched as Richard and Sarah's youngest children came into the room.   Barely awake, they crossed the room to the bed and climbed in. 

   Jack looked at Winn and asked, "Don't any of these children know how to sleep in their own beds?"

   Smiling ruefully, Winn said, "I'm afraid it's a game of sorts.  The children migrate to my room by ones and twos to see how many of them can get into bed with me.  That's why I have such a large bed in here, to accommodate them." 

   She stopped, looking at the bed thoughtfully, thinking something that might not be a good idea.  But the children will be coming in all night.  Surely having eight or more children in here could be considered chaperonage.  She looked back at Jack.

   Seeing the look he was being graced with, Jack warily asked, "What?"

   "Jack?  Umm . . . I was wondering . . . ."

   "Spit it out luv, it's getting late."  And the rum is starting to wear off.  I should have drunk more.

   "Would you like to stay here tonight?"  Seeing the look on his face, she rushed to continue.  "More and more children will be coming in all night long, so it's not like we're going to be alone, and while I realize that may not be a big selling point for you, it's just that I'd really like to . . . to sleep beside you tonight.  While I'm still a bit tipsy."

   Jack almost refused.  He should have refused.  But Winn had her hand wrapped in his shirt, right over his heart, and she looked so earnest.  Staring down at her he realized that whatever journey he had been making unawares was complete.  Whatever destination he had been unknowingly steering towards had been reached.  "Yes, luv.  I'll stay."

   Winn smiled.  Slipping out of dress and corset, leaving her shift, chemise, and pantalets on, she led Jack over to the bed.  Getting in herself, she heard his boots hit the floor, then felt his weight settle onto the bed behind her.  One of his arms wrapped around her waist, holding her loosely to him.  Sighing in contentment, Winn whispered a soft good-night before instantly falling asleep.

Monday:

   Will had spent the last half hour in Jack's room, to his grief.  I have a new bride next door and what does she say to me upon waking? "Go see if Winn made it upstairs last night."  Not "I love you," not "I need you," but a rather unheard of version of "leave."  But he did want to make Elizabeth happy, so he had left the room after making himself at least somewhat presentable, and had set off down the hall to ensure that Winn had made it to bed.

   I think the woman knows how to care for herself.  If she wants to stay down stairs and get drunk, that's her business, as is how she makes it back upstairs.  Passing several rooms worth of Winn's family, Will arrived at Winn's door.  Opening it silently, hoping that the hinges didn't creak, Will found a scene that he wasn't expecting, not to mention one he didn't necessarily want to see.  Winn certainly made it to bed last night.  In fact, it appeared that most of the household had made it to Winn's bed last night.  But that's not what concerned him.  If Winn wanted to let her nieces and nephews sleep with her that was her business.  It was the pirate in her bed that had Will unsettled.

   Deciding it was best to confront Jack in his own room rather than in Winn's, Will shut the door as quietly as he had opened it.  Walking back down the hallway to Jack's room, he poked his head in his own room.  Elizabeth was sound asleep.  Not surprising – neither of them were getting much sleep these days, not that they minded.  Besides, it's better that she's asleep.  I'm not sure I want her hearing about this unless she has to. 

   About to shut the door, he thought better of it and grabbed his sword from where it was resting near the jamb.  This might come in handy.  Jack may very well have a good explanation for this, but then again, he might not.  With that encouraging thought in his head, Will set up vigil in Jack's room, waiting for the opportunity to hear why he had found him in bed with one of his best friends.  He took his opportunity when he saw the door knob start to turn.

Jack woke just as dawn was starting to throw banners of light into the night sky.  One of the many children now in the bed was talking vociferously in her sleep.  It didn't seem to disturb any of the bed's other occupants, but Jack had learned over the years to be a light sleeper (as all good pirate captains are).  He and Winn were in much the same position that they had started in last night.  Briefly, Jack considered going back to sleep, but the thought of what parents coming to herd children to their proper rooms would think to find him there made him discard that idea.

  Being careful to not disturb Winn as he got up, Jack managed to get out of the bed.  Despite his care, Winn turned over, seeking the warmth that had been at her back, and murmured, "Don't go."

   Leaning over her recumbent form, Jack whispered, "You're talking in your sleep, Winnie."

   "No I'm not."

   "Go to sleep, luv."  Winn sighed deeply and frowned slightly, but did as she was told.  Making sure that she was truly asleep, Jack left the room, making sure to be as silent as he could be.  Walking down the deserted hallway, he marveled at the fact that he had just come from a woman's bed with whom he had not had any strenuous activity.  It was a first.  Well, there have been a few other times, but they don't count because I was dead drunk.  I didn't have that much to drink last night.

   Upon gaining his room, he opened the door, and to his great surprise found himself face to face with an unsheathed sword.  His eyes boggled for a moment before traveling down the length of the blade to meet eyes with a rather interested blacksmith. 

   "Whoever said 'turnabout is fair play,' obviously wasn't a pirate," said Jack when he realized that Will was not immediately inclined to lower his sword.  "It seems to me that we have been in this situation before."  Smirking, he wondered, What's got him in a snit?

   Will realized how futile it was to try to intimidate this man.  If being imprisoned, fighting cursed pirates, or attending his own hanging couldn't manage it, then what chance did he have of doing so?  Sighing, he lowered his sword as he watched his friend walk past him.  "Jack, I thought you said you were going to play nice."

   Jack froze momentarily, for no longer than a second, but it was enough for Will to notice.  "I have no idea what you mean, lad."

   "Don't tell me that, Jack.  I saw how you just reacted to my question.  The Captain Jack Sparrow I know is normally able to lie better than that."

   Without turning to face Will, Jack said in a superior tone, "Lie?  You've hurt my pride, Will.  I never lie.  That's ever so pedestrian.  Conceal information, twist the facts, search for loopholes, talk men around – yes to all the above.  But I never lie."

   Will exhaled in impatience.  "Jack, I saw you in Winn's room.  In her bed, no less.  What were you doing there?"

   Jack spun around to face his younger, sometime protégé.  "Did you also happen to notice that not only were both adult parties fully clothed, but so were the eleven other children in that room?  What is it that you're accusing me of?  Taking advantage of an acutely drunk woman?"

   "You're a pirate, as you're so fond of reminding everyone within earshot.  It wouldn't exactly be unheard of."  Will spoke with the same ferocity that he had once used to persuade a jailed pirate to help him search for a missing woman.

   Jack turned away from Will.  Wearily he asked, "And if I did 'take advantage'?  Are you going to challenge me to a duel over the lady's honor?"

   Will had heard that world weary tone from Jack before – on the Interceptor when he had admitted to knowing Will's father.  Tell me that he doesn't sound like that for the reason I think he does, he thought as he watched Jack stand staring out at the ocean from the bedroom window.  "I think that Winn is more than capable of defending her own honor.  The question is, does she want to and if she didn't, would you go along with it?"

   "Aye, lad.  That is the question."  Jack ran his hands over his face, daylight bringing into focus the discovery he had made last night – that Captain Jack Sparrow, a man famous and infamous alike for escaping traps, jails, ambushes, and clever set-ups alike had fallen for the very thing that pirates should avoid at all costs.  A woman who could eventually come to mean more to him than the sea and his ship.

   Will, perhaps aware of what was going through Jack's mind by some kind of empathy shared by those who had discovered love, picked up Jack's sword.  "There's only one thing to do," he said as Jack turned at the slight noise the scabbard made against the plank floor.  Will tossed the sword to Jack, who caught it and looked at him with curiosity.

   "I thought we had already determined that it was unwise to cross swords with a pirate."

   "We're not crossing swords – we're taking your mind off Winn."

   "What makes you think I was thinking about Winn?"

   "Because I've seen that look in my mirror – or at least I did before I got married."  Jack looked horrified.  "Let's go.  There's light enough to fence by."

It's not as if anything happened last night.  It was an hour or two past dawn.  The children had been reclaimed by their parents, and Winn was alone in her room.  And for some reason alone felt lonelier that it had in the past.

   Right, spending the night in the arms of a pirate certainly qualifies as "nothing."  Stop fooling yourself.  Winn rolled her eyes in irritation at the voice that kept poking at her fallacies.  That's why you couldn't get back to sleep this morning – there was "nothing" holdin' on to you.

   It did mean nothing, she insisted to herself.  She looked out her window, thinking to distract herself.  It didn't work.  Right outside her window, albeit several feet down, Jack and Will were engaged in some sort of duel or contest.  By the amount of sweat adhering the shirts to the chests of the two men, Winn could surmise that this had been going on for some time. 

   She watched as the men stopped briefly, arguing over some trivial point or minor technicality.  Will said something that made Jack stop and look thoughtful for a moment before he once again started talking earnestly, his arms swooping around in the air.  Will shook his head in negation of whatever point Jack had been trying to make.  Jack simply stared at the younger man for a moment before attacking without warning.  Will easily blocked the move and the dance continued.

   That's an awfully attractive piece of nothing for you to be staring at.  Again the voice pricked at her with irony and sarcasm.  Why don't you just admit to yourself that–

   "Because there's no future in it, that's why!"  Talking aloud in sudden exasperation, Winn tried to reason with the inner voice, as if spoken words had the power to drive away words voiced by a hidden and buried part of her soul.  "He's a sailor, a captain, a pirate.  How uncertain is the life of a pirate?  How many people are out for his head?  At the end of this week he'll be back on the Pearl where he belongs, and my life will return to normal.  It won't if I admit . . . if I give in to a temporary feeling.  I've seen what happens when someone gives away parts of themselves that they can't afford to.  When the pieces are lost the person dies, and they hurt the ones close to them.  I won't be like that.  I won't be like her." 

   Turning to look out the window once more, she wondered, So where does that leave me?

   Alone, whispered the part of her who had been so vocal recently. 

   Biting her lip, Winn said aloud, "Then so be it."

Winn managed to hide in her rooms until lunch, but eventually hunger drew her downstairs.  Not that I have any reason to hide, she thought as she entered the dining room.  It was loud and noisy in the big room, her brothers trying to get their families fed with the least amount of trouble.

   Seeing that sandwiches had been laid out along with bowls of fruit and pitchers of juice, Winn simply grabbed some food, wanting to leave before she was noticed or engaged in conversation.  She sighed in defeat when she felt a tap on her shoulder.  Turning, her mouth already open to make her excuses, she was surprised to feel her sandwich get pulled out of her head.

   "Marty!  You know you're not supposed to eat that!"  The large bird took no notice of the scolding, swallowing as much of the ham sandwich as he could.  Winn tapped her foot.  "You know," she told the flamingo as if imparting precious knowledge to a colleague, "you are never going to be a pink flamingo if you don't stop eating people food."  Marty just twisted his head upside down and studied her.  "Don't look at me like that.  We both know it's true."

   "Why is it that I seem to find you talking to animals more than to people lately?"

   "It's either I find them to be better conversationalists, or I've been in your company too long, Captain Sparrow."  Jack was taken aback at Winn's frosty tone.  He wondered if she was regretting last night, as innocent as it had been.

   "Winnie–"

   "Please excuse me, Captain, but I seem to need to find a new meal."  Winn left Jack speechless behind her.  Contrary to her words, Winn left the dining room altogether, pausing only to pick up an orange and a bunch of grapes.  Marty looked at Jack with fowl-ish indignation before letting out a honk that sounded remarkably goose-like.

   "Tell her that."

   Feeling a hand on his elbow, Jack turned to find Elizabeth standing behind him.  Nodding towards the door Winn had left through, she said, "You left her to her own thoughts for too long, Captain.  She's rediscovered her vow of eternal loneliness."  Catching Will's eyes from across the room, Elizabeth started to lead the captain out into the garden that was accessible from the dining room.  When Will started to follow them, she shook her head.  What she had to tell only needed to be known to Jack.

   "You know luv, while I do find you reasonably attractive, I try to avoid liaisons with married women.  Especially married women whose husbands just might be able to match me in a sword fight.  If I must fight a duel I'd rather have it be over something important, like a man spilling my rum."

   Elizabeth rolled her eyes.  Is the man ever serious?  "Just have a seat Jack.  There are some things I think you need to know about Winn that she is unlikely to ever tell you."

   "Why would I –"  Elizabeth looked at him with enough disbelief to make him pause.  The dratted woman isn't going to buy anything I say, blast her eyes.  "As I was saying, I'm all ears."

   "That's better."

Winn had almost made it to the staircase that would lead her to her room when she heard her grandfather call her name.  Today just doesn't seem to be my day.  Composing her features into cold neutrality, Winn turned around.  "Yes, Grandfather?" she said politely, "You wanted to see me?"  Marty came up beside her, trying to beg more food off her.  "Go away, you Labrador in a bird's body.  I think I've fed you enough today.  Leave me in peace," she muttered.

   "Talking to yourself?"

   "No, trying to make this overgrown parrot of yours realize that he is not exactly welcome at the moment."

   "Hmm.  Well, don't just stand there, girl.  Come into my study.  There's something I need to talk to you about, and some people I'd like you to meet."

   Winn closed her eyes, trying to quell the annoyance that was rising up inside of her.  All she wanted to do was find someplace quiet to tend the wounds that she had caused herself.  "Of course, Grandfather."

   Entering his study, Winn found three men sitting in various chairs scattered about the room.  When she entered, they all stood, although it seemed to be more out of respect to the man behind her than in any acknowledgement of her gender.  "Winn I would like to introduce you to three of the captains that are sailing for me at this point in time. 

   "This," he gestured to the nearest man, a younger captain with red hair, squinty hazel eyes, and a more than liberal dusting of freckles, "is Captain Jonathan Monroe, of the Sea Falcon."  The man before her lifted his hat in recognition.  Murmuring a polite something or other, Winn wondered what was going on. 

   Not noticing her reticence, Morgan moved on.  "Next I would like to introduce you to Captain Michael Becket, of the Raven's Flight."  I bet, thought Winn.  The man certainly appears as if he should be captaining a ship named after a black bird.  The captain in question had a thick shock of blue-black hair and black eyes that glimmered with something that made Winn slightly uncomfortable. 

   She merely nodded at the man as her grandfather introduced the last man in the group.   "And this is Captain Timothy Stone, of the Nightingale.  This man had a mass of chestnut curls that fell into eyes that were nearly the same color, and a broad smile.

   Smiling weakly in return, Winn looked at her grandfather.  The shrewd look in his eyes unsettled her considerably.  "Grandfather, what –"

   "Why am I introducing you to these men?"  Winn nodded mutely, her stomach sinking, her gut tightening in apprehension.  "The answer is simple.  You will choose one of these men by the end of the week."

   Unable to voice more than a whisper, Winn asked, "Choose one for what?"  She asked the question, but was dreading the answer.

   "You will choose one of these men to be your husband, and you will be married before you leave here at the end of the week.  This notion of yours, that you can care for yourself and that you need no one in your life will end before any of us is a year older."

   Winn in her shock and confusion, felt the world start spinning and saw the world go black before her eyes.  I think I'm about to faint.