Disclaimer: Each story we go through this, and each time we all agree that none of us, whosoever we may be or claim or think we are, own the legal rights to this movie theme, the characters, the ocean, the rum or the chicken dressed in a man suit. Thank You.

Damned to the Depths

-Chapter Six

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Jack stole down to the cabin in which Ana had been taken. At Elizabeth's insistence, the woman had been taken onboard the Old Reliable to rest- her staying on the Pearl just too dangerous in case the Belladonna showed up. Jack didn't argue the point and Ana was immediately whisked away to see the doctor in a cabin not of her own.

The pirate captain allowed his mind to wander before stopping in front of the cabin door, his hand absently rising to knock when he caught himself. Dropping his hand, he opened the door, unsure of what he'd find or what he'd say or how he'd even react. He was not happy, but one couldn't say he was mad, for it was not entirely Ana's fault this had happened. But he was upset, not at the outcome or the news, but upset to know it had been hidden from him; whether it was out of shame, fear or anger, Jack did not know.

For a brief moment, all doubts and anxiety left him, his arrival greeted by an empty cabin. The bed was vacant, the covers a disheveled heap on the floor. There was no Ana, and there was no maid. He quickly went through the possible answers- it was impossible for someone to have snuck inside the cabin, let alone impossible for Ana to have snuck off the ship. It could leave only one possibility- she was still on the ship somewhere.

He turned to go when a noise from a corner made him stop. Jack stuck his head inside and peeked behind the door where he saw a figure standing, staring out a small window, both the person and window having been concealed behind the door. His resolve faded at the sight of Ana, her back to him, gazing out the window, her hands on the sill holding her up.

"Why are ye not in bed?" He asked, his worry returning covering the previous anger he had felt.

There was no movement on Ana's part as she said, "Funny how if it were you, you'd give me some smart ass remark if I asked that question."

"Well at least it would have been an answer," Jack retorted coolly. "Somethin' that ye still haven't given me."

Ana finally lifted her head to stare at him, her face drawn in tired contempt. "I just couldn't sleep, all right," she paused, her eyes blank as she watched him. Just by the way he shifted, she could tell he didn't completely believe her and she sighed, "And my back was bothering me. So what."

For a moment, there was nothing but silence as Jack closed the door behind him and leaned against it. He glanced around noticing that it was just he and Ana, the maid no where in sight. "Why didn't ye tell me?" he eventually asked, his gaze fixated on the wall in front of him.

"Would you have believed me if I had?"

Jack snapped his head around at the response and stared at her long and hard, her own eyes boring into his. "I think we both know the answer to that. But it still doesn't explain why ye did it."

A shadow flickered over Ana's face and she turned from him, a small shudder running down her spine. "You wouldn't understand," she whispered.

"What's not to understand?" Jack questioned haughtily. "You're- you're pregnant! And ye hid it- how can someone not understand that?"

Ana spun around, her hair falling in her face as the fading sun cast a shadow behind her. Jack's breath caught in his throat, not only by the sight, but also from the words that spilled forth from her mouth. Her intense glare softened as she spoke, and her rigid posture relaxed.

"I was afraid," her voice was low. "I didn't know what to do or what to say. I was scared. It isn't everyday that I wake up thinking, 'Oh golly- I'm pregnant and this is exactly what I need to do.' It's not that simple Jack. The first time, no one ever knows what to expect and it isn't like I could just ask someone what was going to happen. And just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I automatically know what it's like to be in that position, no matter what they say. I'd never been pregnant before Jack, how was I suppose to know I was carrying a child."

Jack stiffened. "Well there are signs."

Ana rolled her eyes. "Yes, there are signs. But what is one to do when the signs weren't clear to begin with?"

The pirate captain sighed at her response, realizing what she had meant. "Well that doesn't explain the whole miscarriage thing," he exclaimed, waving his hand about. He walked around gesturing with his hands saying, "He said ye miscarried, Ana! Ye might be able to get away with hidin' the weight or the fact that you're pregnant in the beginnin' but there is no way ye can hide a miscarriage. It's just not possible, especially when ye are on a ship out in the middle of no where!" he paused long enough to look at her from across the room.

She was still facing him though her head was down and he could see her shoulders shaking slightly, her hands balled into fists at her sides. She was crying. Jack had always hated to see her cry, and it wasn't often that she did and when she did, it was usually because of him. How he hated himself for making her shed her tears, but this time there wasn't much in the way of guilt or sympathy from him. For all Jack cared, she had brought it upon herself. Yet, some where, he couldn't shake the feeling that Ana was hiding more than he thought.

"Ye could have died, Ana," Jack added finally, his own eyes studying the floor. "And then there would have been nothin' I could have done for ye."

Ana's defiance took over as she hissed, "Don't you dare try preaching to me, Jack Sparrow! You don't even know what I've been through!"

"Well you're no saint yourself, Anamaria!" Jack argued back his voice rising. "And you're right, I don't know what ye went through, why don't ye enlighten me?"

A sharp intake of breath drew his gaze up to see her watching him, her eyes glistening. She swallowed and took a deep breath, her chin turning up as she struggled for the words. "Do you remember that port we raided not long after the wedding?"

Jack tilted his head. Yes he remembered that raid all too well. It was the first time he thought he had lost Ana after having just found her and making claim to her heart. It was hard to forget- how could he not.

The small town was close to Port Royal and there was nothing particularly worth taking except maybe some supplies, rum and money, but Jack had nonetheless insisted they dock and with some heavy convincing, the crew had agreed. He may be a man of his word and capable of having a good streak, but Jack Sparrow could not be accused of being an honest and civil man if his life counted on it. Though- there was some exceptions.

So the Black Pearl had sailed for the unsuspecting port with Jack at the helm…

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Jack closed his spyglass and slid it back into his belt, his hands taking the helm, gently guiding the ship where it needed to go.

"Are we close?"

He turned to see Anamaria standing there, her head tilted to one side as she stared at the horizon. The half moon illuminated the occupants on the deck, the pale light creating an aura around the female pirate and Jack couldn't help but notice how she looked- different. She seemed more apt to get off the ship, especially when it came to the plans of the raid to come.

Jack had anchored the Pearl a safe distance from the docks, four separate longboats, 5 men to each, heading for the shore in the middle of the night. Each man had a duty, a task to complete during the raid; gathering supplies, or pillaging the bank or even the taverns as Jack made his way to the Governor's mansion to see what goodies he could find. And all the while, Ana was to serve as lookout, a task she thoroughly disapproved of and made sure her disagreement was known. Jack had begged and pleaded, throwing her this line or that one, sneaking in a kiss or one of his innocent expressions that seemed to have no effect on the woman. But she finally gave in and when they reached shore, she had stormed off, not completely satisfied with her job, but prepared to do it anyway.

She hadn't even told Jack good bye; there was no kiss, no hug. Just silence as she stalked off toward the market place, the center of the small port where she would scout out the premises and report back to Jack via Cotton's parrot if anything suspicious caught her eye.

Jack had made his way to the mansion on the far end of the port, secluded from the rest of the town, due to privacy issues he assumed while the others set out to complete their tasks.

The pirate captain had to suppress an impressed whistle when he finally found the mansion, which had conveniently been placed among a small grove of trees and- he paused to pull something sharp and incredibly painful from his leg- thorn bushes. Jack swaggered across the lush lawn, keeping in mind that the place could be heavily guarded. After having checked the coast, he quickly scaled trellis that lead to a small balcony, it leading to the oversized study of the manor.

He picked the lock with a proud smile and let himself in allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness. He waited several minutes listening for any sound of movement and when there was none, Jack hurriedly set to work.

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He held up a large gem in the moonlight, admiring it before setting it back, deeming it too gaudy in his opinion before picking up another gem and examining it. He turned the gemstone over several times before nodding, placing it in a sack on his belt and then selected another trinket from the velvet case. A slight hissing noise drew his attention suddenly causing him to drop the diamond he was studying, a silent curse on his lips. He retrieved the fallen gem and placed it back in the case, starting to close it when another hissing noise startled him, his hands dropping the lid, the entire box crashing to the floor.

Bloody 'ell! He fumbled picking up the box and any stones he could see, quickly setting it back and heading for the window. It was getting too risky and that hissing noise was slowly beginning to irritate him.

"Pssst."

There it was again, Jack thought stopping in his tracks as he concentrated on the sound. It reminded him of a slow leak, and a grin formed on his face at the thought before the noise once again drew his attention as someone whispered his name.

"Pssst, Jack!"

Jack stumbled to the balcony and glanced down, shocked to see Gibbs there. "Gibbs? What are ye doin'? Ye damn near gave me a heart attack!"

"Jack, there be trouble."

"What kind of troub-" The sound of a cocking pistol cut him off and he turned to see the Governor and several uniformed guards surrounding him. A lamp was lit lighting up the room and Jack shielded his eyes, taking a step back.

"Well, well, Captain Sparrow, what a nice surprise," the Governor greeted, a frown on his face.

Jack bowed melodramatically. "Likewise."

"To what do we owe the pleasure, Sparrow?"

The pirate captain fiddled with a tassel on the curtain, waving a hand around erratically, "Oh nothin' really mate. Just thought I'd drop in and have a spot of tea."

The Governor rolled his eyes. "Where have I heard that one before. Men, take him away."

"I wouldn't be doin' that if I were ye, mate," Jack suggested, his pistol aimed at the Governor. He slowly backed to the balcony, his pistol still pointing, the guards to worried he'd pull the trigger to do anything. Jack swung his legs over the balcony railing, before giving a tip of his hat and jumping.

The sound of a pistol firing echoed in his ears as a pain traveled down his arm. He clutched his right forearm as he hit the ground and rolled over to allow Gibbs up as he breathed, "Thanks for breakin' me fall, mate. Now let's get the hell out of here." The old quartermaster didn't have to be told twice as he and Jack raced back to the longboat, Gibbs explaining his story as they went.

Jack frowned as the sailor told him that no sooner had he and another crewmember set off, that they came across a couple of guards at the tavern who questioned them. They had tried to weasel their way out of it and get back to the docks when the guards gave chase. They had managed to ditch them and Gibbs had gone straight away to find Jack and tell him, all the others who had come ashore having already left and returned to the ship.

"There must be some fancy smancy thing goin' on Jack, there be guards ev'rywhere," Gibbs complained as they pushed the last longboat into the water and rowed toward the Pearl.

Jack grinned. "Well, at least the visit wasn't a complete loss," he pulled out one of the diamonds he had confiscated from the Governor and the two sailors admired it for a while before it was placed back in Jack's belt.

"How's your arm?"

The pirate captain looked up, a hand helping him from the boat. "Just a graze, no worries." He gazed around, looking for Anamaria who he expected to be one of the first people back to the ship. He wondered how come she had not sent Cotton's parrot to send the retreat or why she hadn't come herself.

A noise behind him caught his attention and turned to see Cotton's parrot landing on the railing squawking, "Brig. Pirate. Redcoat."

Jack tilted his head and looked back at the port in the distance, a sickening feeling suddenly washing over him, as he realized why a retreat or the bird hadn't been sent.

Ana had been captured.

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A/N: Kind of a short chapter I know, but it's only part one of a two-part chapter. Please bear with me here, people. There's not much to see I know, but hey, the good stuff usually come last, yes? Any way, this chapter and the next, are basically just flashbacks from both Jack and Ana of the same night, one picking up where the other left off. And it answers any questions you might have, so there!

Review Thanks- (All in one now) THANKS! (I'll go back and personally thank everyone next chapter, but right now, I'm sort of in a hurry. Sorry. But thanks to everyone who had reviewed so far! I won't let ye down! Savvy?)

-J