AN: Many thanks go out to J.L. Dexter (muchos thanks for being honest!) and Missy Mouse who have already reviewed! I'd love more reviews so keep them coming pretty please?

Continued from last chapter:

"Ah," said Jack calmly. "This slave of yours got a name?" Behind the cabin, Anamaria held her breathe, heart beating furiously.

"Anamaria Santagio."

Chapter 2: Past Revisited.

Ana's heard stopped. She squeezed her eyes closed. She couldn't get inside the cabin without the crew seeing. She was stuck. Jack's eyes squinted and he frowned. Gibbs shot the crew a warning look behind the captain's back. The man Evans handed Jack a sketch. It was a little rough, but unmistakably a younger, softer Anamaria. His eyes widened. This was very interesting. "She your girl then, mate?" Jack asked casually.

Evans grinned fiercely and chuckled. "Bloody hell no. I'm just sent to track her down; there's a reward, ye know. She was the lord of the plantation's plaything, aye?"

The crew's eyes had sparked at the word 'reward,' not having seen the sketch, and the fierce man didn't miss it. "Oh, aye, " he continued. "She's a pretty valuable lass. There be gold if she be brought back."

"Terribly sorry, can't help you." Jack said quickly.

"Pretty lady down-" squawked Mr. Cotton's bloody parrot.

"I said, terribly sorry." Jack hissed, cutting him off. But it was too late. Evans and two of his crew had already swung onto the Pearl. Jack's eyes darted around quickly and he scurried to cut off the men from reaching Ana. "See mate, " Jack drawled, waving his hands wildly. "We 'ave seen her.a few months over in Tortuga." Jack waggled his eyebrows. "We got pretty friendly, mate."

The men shrugged around the captain. Jack drew his other pistol. Damn. Evans walked around the corner straight into Anamaria's pistol. Jack had a pistol to heach of the men's heads in a flash. "Walk, man," Jack growled. The rest of the Pearl's crew had guns drawn and focused on Evans' crew as soon as they saw what Jfack and Ana had done. Evans' crew had no weapons in hand and no time to react.

"Man the guns," Jack barked at a group of three. Gibbs relieved Evans and his two comrades of their weapons and Jack grinned, his eyes staying serious. "Now. Get on yer boat and don't follow us until you're out of range of our little guns, savvy?"

For good measure, Jack clunked Evans on the head with his pistol as he returned the man to his own ship. When all were back on their own boat, the Incorrigible Ana noted, Jack ordered, "Move!" Half the crew set to work opening the sails in a matter of seconds while the other manned the ship's cannons. The Pearl sprung away, leaving those on the Incorrigible staring confusedly after them.

Ana's gun clanged to the floor after a few long moments and she started at it blankly. "'Ang on, love." Jack murmured as he watched her from where he stood at the helm.

Ten minutes later found the Pearl a safe increasing distance from the other ship, and Anamaria stood clutching the rail staring at a churning ocean. Wordlessly, Jack gave the wheel to Gibbs and crossed to her, standing beside her at the rail. He opened hs mouth several times, unable to start. "Ana, love," he finally murmured, "Yer shaking."

Ana made no response, feeling her heart turn over with his voice and willing it not to do so. Jack took a deep breath, bracing himself for another slap as he gently pried Ana's white-knuckled fingers from the rail. He reached around to lean against the high rail himself and pull her into him. To his surprise (and great relief) she came willingly, one of her hands clutching his shirt and the other automatically sliding around him. Jack tucked her head under his chin and gently stroked her hair with one hand. With the other arm firmly around her waist he kept her stead.

And safe. Ana felt safe all at once. Her tears spilled over. Jack saw them and pulled her closer. "Aw, love, don't cry. Ole Jack's not going to let anyone hurt ye, promise."

"What do your promises mean?" she sniffed disdainfully through her tears.

"For you, love," he whispered. "Everything."

Ana pulled back and watched his eyes curiously. They were dark and serious pools. He was rarely serious in all the time she'd known him, but she knew that he was now. She swallowed. "Thank you, Jack." She whispered.

"Come on." He said suddenly, pulling her towards his cabin. Ana dug her heels in, resisting. She felt a sudden stab at stupidity.

"What? I ain't going nowhere!" she snapped, hand rising in warning. Jack smiled and curled his mustache.

"Ana, love. We're on a pirate ship! In broad daylight! And if ye keep looking at me like that, things are going to get verrrrry interesting!" He had whirled on her and started jumping up and down like he had a tendency to do when he was frustrated. "In front of the whole bloody crew!" he finished with a smirk.

Ana gasped. Her strength flooded back. "You despicable man!" she said angrily, "If you ever think that I would ever--!"

Jack caught her flailing fist with a widening of his eyes. "I don't think you want to be doing that, love." He said dangerously, dark eyes solemn.

"And why not?" she snapped, squirming.

"Because I just can't resist, love," Jack had her pinned against the outside walls of his cabin before she could react. He captured her lips roughly with his and she fought back against his with her own. Both were locked in a struggled not to give in first. Finally, a resounding squawk from the parrot brought Ana crashing back to reality. She shoved him away and glared daggers at the gaping pirates on deck. She slipped into the nearest place, his cabin, and slammed the door in his face.

Jack turned to give the crew an apologetic glance before shouting and banging on the locked door. "Ana! Let me bloody in! You bloody sea witch! Ana I just saved your derriere, love! A fine one at that but-"

The door swung open and Ana grabbed his shirt and hauled him inside as he gave a startled yelp. He dusted off his jacket. "I knew you'd warm up to me darling." His expression turned scared as Ana shoved her shaking finger in his face.

"Ye had no right to do that Sparrow! Embarassin' me in front of the whole bloody crew and baiting me.and.and." She stopped, tears running down her face. With a small sob she collapsed in a chair. She roughly swiped her eyes. This was madness. Pirates didn't *cry*.

Jack raised his eyes skyward briefly as if a prayer of thanks then knelt beside her. "Ana, darlin'." he said soothed silkily, taking out a kerchief to wipe her tears.

She swatted his hands away and looked at him with sad, wide eyes then sighed. "I can't stay on the Pearl. They'll be reading for ye next time."

"Why didn't ye tell me there was bloody bounty hunters after ye, love?" Jack rubbed one of her hands with a large, calloused one.

She gave him a feisty grin. "Come on, Jack. Don't all pirates have hunters after them?"

"Not like him, love. I mean, I've got bloody Norrington and his men, but they're not professionals."

Ana gave a shake of her head. "It's a long story and it ain't best to be pouring out ye secrets, aye?" "Aye," he said mournfully. "Would ye tell me it, love?"

Ana looked at him warily.