Usual disclaimers. nevermind!

This is the last chapter I can do today. Unfortunately as a Mum real life intrudes all too often on the time I'd like to spend typing... and I have been online far too much today. Hopefully there will be an update by the end of the weekend... if not before.

Extra special thanks and hugs to my proof reader Mulberry!

***

Jack stomped angrily back to the docks, rowing himself across to the Black Pearl. When he reached the ship he hauled himself on deck with a heavy sigh. "Bloody bitch," he muttered under his breath.

"Captain?" He looked up to see Oran who was on watch. "Where's Kitty?"

"In jail," he snapped. "She punched Mary an' broke her nose..."

"At the Governor's party?" Oran gasped in disbelief.

"Yeah, an' by tomorrow morning her most private secret will be all over Port Royal thanks to bloody Mary!" He thumped the ships rail in anger.

Oran had absolutely no idea what Jack was talking about. "Captain?" He got no response. "Jack?" he prompted.

"Rouse th' crew. I want a crew meetin' now!" Jack ordered tersely.

"But Captain!" Oran protested. "It's the middle of the night!"

"I said now!" Jack shouted, probably waking most of those below anyway. Oran gulped and hurried to obey. Eventually, bleary eyed and grumbling, the crew assembled on deck. "Is that everyone?"

"Aye Captain," Gibbs responded grumpily.

"Okay, I'm going t' say this once. You're going t' hear a lot of scandal an' rumour in town tomorrow... but I'm going t' tell you the truth and then it ends." The crew looked at him, utterly confused, but held their silence. "Tonight, at the party, Kitty punched Mary an' broke her nose." Mutters of disbelief echoed around him.

"Why?" Paul Fearnan gasped.

Jack sighed heavily, still unwilling to speak but realising he had to. He took a deep breath. "Kitty cannot have children - she was badly hurt as a child an' nearly died. Mary has been goading Kitty fer a while now since she became pregnant herself." He paused, letting the information sink in. "An' tonight Kitty caught th' bitch tellin' her friends about it... an' punched her."

"So what happens next?" Gibbs asked.

"Well, th' Governor ordered Kitty locked up t'night with no visitors. He might release her in th' morning... I don't know," he frowned, more used to being on the other side of the bars. "Now, let me make m'self clear - I do not want any of yer getting into fights over this, nor getting yourselves locked up t' keep her company... savvy?" A round of disheartened ayes chorused round the ship.

"So what can we do Captain?" Oran frowned, as unhappy about Catherine being in jail as the rest of the crew.

"Firstly, I want a lantern set at th' top of th' main mast - I want Kitty t' be able t' see we're here..." Jack ordered. "An' secondly I'm going t' visit her..."

"But you said no visitors?" Gibbs queried.

"I'm not going through th' front gate Gibbs!" he sighed. "I want a volunteer t' row me across t' below th' fort an' I'll scale up t' th' window..." He was drowned out with cries of those wanting to volunteer, but eventually picked Oran for he knew the Irishman would want to talk further. Jack quickly found a change of clothes for her in the hope that she was alone for he knew she would hate the idea of getting her dress dirty. He climbed down into the small boat, pleased to see that Oran was waiting and that a lantern already flickered from the mast. "Nice an' quiet Booth... remember we're not meant t' be here!"

***

Catherine walked calmly between the two marines, grateful at least that they had not manacled her. She smiled at Murtogg, surprised to see that he was one of the guards on duty.

"Mistress Kitty?" he gasped in shock.

"Mistress Sparrow will be spending the night in the cells courtesy of the Governor," the senior of the two marines escorting her ordered.

Murtogg blinked, his mouth opening in disbelief. "But..."

"Are you going to take her down there, or do we have to?" the second marine demanded.

"Ah, but, ah, err, this way Mistress Kitty." He frowned, his curiosity getting the better of him. "What did you do?"

Catherine put on her best bored voice, mimicking Jack's devil-may-care attitude. "Oh, nothing... just punched that bitch Mary and broke her nose..." She smiled unrepentantly as she remembered the sound of bones breaking - Jack had taught her well.

He led her down the stairs into the cells. Luckily there was nobody else locked up that night and she would have the place to herself. "Let me get you a blanket Mistress Kitty... don't sit down or you'll ruin your dress." She turned to face him as he locked the door. "Sorry Mistress Kitty... rules - you understand."

"That's alright Murtogg, honestly. I wouldn't want you to get into trouble..." She looked around the cell. "Although a blanket would be appreciated..."

Murtogg dashed away, returning quickly with a navy issue blanket. She spread it on the stone seating area and settled down to sleep as best she could.

***

Jack decided it was one of the weirdest feelings looking into a jail and actually wanting to be in there. He could see her asleep in the dim candlelight. "Psst! Kitty!" he whispered, aware of the troops patrolling above. She opened one eye, cautiously looking round before spotting him.

"Jack! Are you bloody mad?" she gasped.

"Are you alone?" he demanded.

"Yes... why?" Catherine replied, puzzled.

"Well change!" A small bundle of clothes fell through the bars, closely followed by her boots. "I'm sure yer don't want t' ruin that dress!"

She stood by the window, wobbling on tiptoe with her back to him as he reached inside and undid her laces. Jack silently thanked the fort builders for the small ledge that served as a seat around the inside of the cell else he'd never have reached. She passed her shoes out, wriggling quickly into the leather trousers before slipping her dress off. For a moment he caught a glimpse of her, half naked in the candle light, before she pulled her shirt on without bothering to unbutton it. The dress followed the shoes, then the earrings, pendant and bracelets. Jack froze as a guard passed above, hugging closely to the rocks, but he was not spotted.

"I've got t' go Kitty," he whispered, smiling as she clung to the bars kissing him. He drew back, looking at her affectionately. "I've put a lantern atop th' mast so yer can see us luv... I'll be back properly in the morning!" He kissed her again before climbing carefully down the cliff face to where Oran waited with the boat below.

"How is she?" Oran asked worriedly for Catherine had never been jailed before... well, apart from the odd day in the Black Pearl's brig.

"She's alone up there, so she could change..." Jack patted the bundle of clothes in the bag he had thrown in the bottom of the boat. "But I want her out of there as soon as possible..."

"No Captain... I meant how is she? Hell, we spent all that time together and I never even guessed..."

"She doesn't speak with anybody about it Booth - not even family unless really pressed. It doesn't worry me that she can't but she's hurtin' bad over it... an' now the whole of Port Royal will know thanks to that mouthy bitch!" Jack spat with venom.

Oran nodded silently, still shocked by Jack's revelation, concentrating on rowing for he realised Jack would say no more on the subject.

***

Thomas Spense lay quietly as his wife Rosamund reaching to blow out the lamp beside the bed. "What on earth happened tonight?" he asked. "I just do not understand it?"

"I think some of it can be blamed on Mary. She may be our daughter but I caught her making several snide comments about Mistress Sparrow tonight. I told her not to say such things, but perhaps they were overheard?" she replied quietly.

"But surely Mistress Sparrow over reacted. Whatever Mary may have said it did not warrant a broken nose... and in front of all the guests too!" He sighed sadly. "It was meant to be a celebration!"

"Well, we won't find out now until the morning dear, so let's just go to sleep? I have the feeling you will need to be at your sharpest to figure this out," Rosamund suggested.

"True." He kissed her gently on the cheek, rolling over to sleep. Whatever had happened, nothing could be done until the morning.

***

Theodore looked at his wife in disgust, unable even to bring himself to talk to her. Catherine had made a pretty mess of her face and although her nose had been straightened she would be bruised for weeks. He took a blanket from the bed, turning to leave.

"Theodore?" Mary looked up at him through teary eyes. "Theodore... where are you going?"

"Downstairs - I'll sleep on one of the settees..." he snapped angrily at her.

"But I'm your wife..." she protested, unbelieving that he would leave their marriage bed.

"You may be my wife Mary, but if you weren't pregnant you'd be out of this house with my boot up your..." He sighed in frustration. "Dammit Mary - I warned you, but you wouldn't listen! Well I hope you are happy now because you've destroyed this family! And for what? Some petty spite that's beyond understanding! Damn you Mary for what you've done!" he shouted, uncaring who heard as he slammed the bedroom door behind him.

"Theodore?" His father stood at the top of the stairs and he could see Will and Elizabeth standing by their door in surprise. Luckily Weatherby Swann was nearly deaf and had heard nothing. "Theodore, what is happening?"

"Mary opened her big mouth, Cat punched her and now Cat is in the cells!" Theodore snapped angrily. Elizabeth gasped in shock. "Mary has a broken nose and if anyone shows her one ounce of sympathy then they can pack their bags and leave!" He looked at his father. "I am not talking about this until the morning!" He trailed his blanket downstairs. "Goodnight!" he snarled, slamming the lounge door as well. Elizabeth, Will and Edmund looked at each other in shock before turning and returning to their rooms realising they would discover no more until Theodore was in a better mood.

***

Theodore stood next to the Commodore and the Governor watching as his sister opened one eye, staring at them through the bars.

"Well if it isn't the three wise monkeys..." she drawled. "What do you want Theo?"

Theodore sighed heavily. Her attitude was not going to do her any favours with the Governor and it had taken him an hour of argument just to get the man to agree to release his sister if she apologised.

"Cat, you are free to go if you apologise to Mary..." Theodore began.

He listened in disbelief as she started to chuckle - not the response he had been expecting. "No!"

"Cat?" he inhaled sharply, shocked at her reply.

"I will apologise to that bitch the day that hell freezes over Theo... an' not a moment sooner," Catherine retorted defiantly, smiling at the shock on his face.

"Mistress Sparrow!" Thomas Spense shouted angrily. "You will not address my daughter in that way!" He noticed suddenly that she was not wearing her dress underneath the blanket. "How..." He rounded on Norrington. "Commodore, I said no visitors last night!"

"Nobody visited Governor... why?" James Norrington frowned, still unable to believe this was happening.

"Where is your dress Mistress Sparrow - the jewellery?" She shrugged, smiling insolently but not answering.

Theodore smiled ruefully, realising what had happened. "Jack climbs well does he?" He was not surprised when she still did not answer, recognising the stubborn expression on her face from their childhood fights. Catherine was not backing down.

"I will have your obedience Mistress Sparrow!" the Governor fumed. "And you will apologise!"

"No, you will not have my obedience," she smiled assuredly. "The only person who has my obedience is Jack as my husband and Captain - and I will not apologise!"

The Governor turned, storming back up the steps. "She stays here Commodore until she does apologise!"