Disclaimer: Don't own it, won't ever own, haven't got a notion to either!

Journey To The Past

By: J.L. Dexter
Rating: PG-13 for violence, language and sexual reference.
Summary: Jack's decided to take a break from raiding for a while, but the port he's docking in hold's more story than expected as Anamaria's past catches up with her and Jack. A letter from Port Royal arrives requesting Jack's presence and find out who is taking that long walk down the aisle.

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Ana flexed her arms as she dropped her end of the longboat on to the shore near some brush to hide it from prying eyes. Jack waded the knee-deep water to where she stood as she shielded her face from the afternoon sun. With a quick nod from the captain, the two silently walked toward the town; Ana taking in the sights they passed while Jack did his best to look as normal as possible.

Neither spoke as they traveled along the dock past the harbormaster, past the garrison and straight into town to where Jack first met Will. Ana kept an eye out as they walked along the semi-crowded streets- not many of the people in the market place took notice of them as they passed by.

Jack finally came to a stop next to an old building marked as the forge. Giving a curt nod to Ana the pirate captain slipped inside quietly hoping to find Will. Looking around, it didn't take Jack long to see that no one was here and turned to go when cold steel pressed to the back of his neck made him stop in mid-stride.

"Put your hands up and turn around to where I can see you," a voice spoke softly from behind.

Sighing, Jack put his arms out and turned to face his captor. His dark eyes widened as he came face to face with a young girl. Sizing her up, Jack assumed she was no older than sixteen at the most and she seemed very skilled with a sword. Her blue eyes penetrated his own dark ones as she stood glaring at him, a frown upon her face.

She nodded to the door and said, "Out you go. We're going for a little walk."

Jack blinked in surprise at her demanding tone but seeing as she was the one with a sword pointed at his neck, he hesitantly complied and walked to the door that lead outside. Silently hoping that Ana hadn't run off, Jack counted the steps it took until he would be outside where he could safely disarm the girl at his back.

His head to high in the clouds, Jack had failed to see the anvil in front of his feet until he tripped over it and landed roughly on the sawdust covered ground. The girl behind him yelled out and jumped back as Jack suddenly rolled onto his side and grabbed her leg. She kicked out and landed a blow to Jack's ribs causing him to drop his grip and roll on the ground. He froze when he saw the glint of the sword at his face as the girl hovered over him, a look of pure hatred in her eyes.

"I wouldn't be doing that if I were you."

The girl immediately dropped her sword as the feeling of smooth metal caught her chin. Anamaria stood glowering at her captain as she held the girl at bay long enough for Jack to scramble to his feet. Taking a step forward, Ana backed the girl into a wall her sword still pointed firmly under her chin.

"Now normally, I wouldn't mind if some one tried to run Jack through, seeing as, he deserves it," Ana was saying as Jack protested loudly from behind. "But there's a slight problem. No one gets to run him through but me."

"I wasn't going to kill him!" The girl suddenly blurted out.

Ana tilted her head. "Then what were you going to do with him? Granted, you wouldn't get a nice ransom reward out of him."

"I resent that!" Jack said irritably.

The girl chuckled. "Please, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Susan. This," she swept her arm out widely. "Is my grandfather's shop."

"But I thought this was Will Turner's shop," Jack piped up as he stood beside Ana dusting his clothes off.

"No, Will was just an apprentice under my grandfather," Susan explained.

"He does still work here, doesn't he?"

Susan nodded. "Yes, he does. But he is out today. At home taking care of some… business."

Ana regarded the girl closely. She seemed harmless enough, but appearances weren't what anyone could go by these days. Eventually, she dropped her blade back to her side as her eyes never left Susan's.

"Thank you," Susan said as Ana pulled her sword from her neck.

Jack stepped forward. "It's a pleasure to meet ye, love. I'm Capt-"

"I know who you are," Susan implied. "You're Jack Sparrow."

Ana grinned as Jack cringed at the name. "That's Captain Jack Sparrow, lass," Jack corrected her.

"Oh? No one told me that you were captain of anything," Susan said with a hint of annoyance.

It was Ana's turn to chuckle as she spoke up, "Looks like the lass got you there Jack."

Jack shot her a look that Ana ignored as she held out her hand, "I'm Anamaria. So why were you hiding in the forge?"

"I wasn't hiding. I was waiting for him," Susan pointed at Jack. "But no one said anything about you coming along."

Ana made a face. "Yeah, that's how it goes."

"Why were ye waitin' for me?"

"I was asked to stick around here in case you showed up looking for Will. And if you did, I'm to bring you to the Turner's immediately."

"Well ye surely didn't have to attack me. All ye had to do was ask, love," Jack muttered.

Susan rolled her eyes. "Well, knowing you, Captain, you would have put up a fight. How else was I going to get you to listen to me?"

Jack quirked an eyebrow. "Good point," he sighed. Bowing, he opened the door to the smithy. "After you, ladies."

"Don't mind if I do," Susan grumbled as she pushed past Jack. Ana followed but stopped and waited for Jack to close the door to the forge as he took up his pace beside her.

"What do you think of her?" Ana asked without looking at him.

Jack rubbed his chin. "She has a bit of an attitude, that's for sure."

Ana nodded her agreement as they followed the young girl through the empty streets. That's odd, Ana thought as she glanced around. Not but five minuets ago these streets were practically crowded. Now there's not a single person in sight.

As they walked on, Ana couldn't help but to be nervous as the sinking feeling suddenly returned full force.

---

"Well here we are," Susan announced as she stopped outside a small house at the edge of town.

Ana recognized it as the Turner's home, but something seemed different. Jack stood there with a dazed look upon his face as he gazed at the small house.

"This is it, ye say?"

Susan nodded. "Yes, this is it."

"Kinda small for the governor's daughter, wouldn't ye say? Are ye sure this is it?"

Susan growled in frustration. Ana placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "This is it, Jack. Trust the girl, she's right."

"Fine. Well let us be on our way then to knock on the door," Jack said nonchalantly as he walked up the path to the house.

Ana thanked Susan for her help and watched the girl run off down the street. Turning, she took her time to walk to where Jack stood waiting impatiently, his fingers drumming against the door. Ana had to laugh at Jack as he stood there, his hand slowly drumming, waiting.

"Did you knock?" She asked as she brushed the dirt from her breeches.

"No, I was waitin' for ye to do it for me," Jack said sarcastically.

Ana glared at him and opened her mouth to retort when the door suddenly swung open allowing the sunlight to stream in on a young man in the doorway. His brown hair was disheveled, his clothes wrinkled and his face lined with fatigue.

"William!" Jack crowed as he grabbed the man by his shoulders.

Will blinked, his eyes adjusting to the bright light. "Jack?"

"The one and only my boy."

The blacksmith grabbed Jack's hand and pulled him inside. "It's good to see you again, Jack. I didn't expect you to be here so soon. Well, at least this early in the day. We weren't expecting you until this evening sometime."

Jack looked back at the doorway and winked. "See, told ye that it wasn't a trap."

Will looked over his shoulder to see who Jack was talking to, the surprise settling in on his face. "Anamaria. What a nice surprise."

Ana gave a single nod as she stepped inside. "Will. Long time no see."

Will ushered the two pirates into the small parlor area, talking a mile a minute. Ana leaned over to Jack and whispered, "Does the boy ever shut up?"

Jack laughed as he sat down, Ana taking the spot next to him. Will left to get them something to drink as Jack took in his surroundings. The room was small but well decorated; pictures, vases and shelves lined the walls. In the far corner was a fireplace, a mantle lined with objects and trinkets resting above it. From where he sat, Jack could just make out a set of stairs leading to who knew where; the kitchen door, which was, in the least to say it, not showing much of the room.

Ana glanced at Jack. She wondered if he was still upset for her actions earlier in the day; he had barely said two words to her since they came to shore. She leaned back into the couch, a seat pillow clutched in her arms tightly. "You haven't been here yet, have you?"

Jack, slightly startled at the question, turned and looked at his first mate who sat huddled into the corner of the couch away from him. "No I haven't. I figured they'd have a much bigger place than this."

"Well Jack, Will and Elizabeth are happy with each other. They don't need elaborate things to make their love last," Ana pointed out.

Jack thought he could hear a pang of guilt and sadness in her voice as she spoke but just shrugged it off. He idly picked at his shirtsleeve, where the cuff was beginning to fray. Ana was right, that much he knew. Will and Elizabeth, though both still young, were madly in love with each other and not their worldly possessions. They didn't need adventure, or treasure or even a ship to keep their love alive. All they needed was each other. Jack briefly wondered what it was like to need someone that much.

He looked over at Ana who sat staring at the pillow in her lap as she absently plucked at the tassels hanging from the pillow's corners. She seemed totally relaxed as she lounged against the plush couch her legs curled up underneath her. However, Jack noticed that there wasn't even the slightest trace of a smile on her face.

Her eyes were blank as she stared at nothing, her lips were pressed together in a tight frown and her brow was puckered giving off the look that she was deep in thought. She mechanically swept some stray locks of her hair from her face, tucking them gently behind her ear. Jack smiled as a rebellious strand fell from its hold back into her face, but Ana made no move to push it away.

She must really be thinking hard about something, Jack concluded as he watched her. A small sigh escaped her as she turned her head and propped her elbow up on the arm of the couch, her chin resting in her open palm. Jack tilted his head as he observed her from his spot, his own brow creasing. A noise from the kitchen alerted him that Will was returning, and hopefully with something good to drink.

Jack's throat was parched despite the half bottle of rum he had drank on the journey from the ship to the shore. Will set a tray down on the small table nearby and handed Jack a glass. "Sorry it took me so long. I forgot where I had hidden the rum."

"Rum?" Jack asked, his attitude perking up.

Will nodded. "Elizabeth still refuses to allow the drink into the house. But as a couple of the men at the garrison say, 'What she doesn't know, won't hurt her.' I guess it's for the best though, that she doesn't find out."

"Well explain that to her," Ana stated, her head nodding to the doorway where a now angered Elizabeth stood, her hands on her hips.

"William Turner!"

Will cringed as he mouthed the words, "Uh oh."

Jack leaned over good-naturedly and patted the young blacksmith on the shoulder as he said, "Looks like you're in trouble mate."

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A/N: Boring chapter, I know, but necessary. Hopefully a little more action in the next- Maybe, maybe not. There isn't much in the way of fights as before mentioned. This is just a good ole' Jack/Ana story. Pretty much a story builder, if you will. ^_^

Thanks to Cal, Kingleby and Special Eddie.

Cal- your questions to be answered soon, Kingleby- If I can write a story people enjoy, then you can too! SpecialEddie- Keep ona a readin!

-J