OK, I confess that last chapter didn't explain anything really. This chapter may be more helpful. But its flashback too and Will and Elizabeth aren't in it. And they may not be in the next one either. Don't hate me. Please?

Cast of thousands: They're all against you.

Me: Except you right?

Cast of thousands: No, we're against you too.

Me: Ah. Well, your nothing but figments of my imagination.

Cast of thousands: No we're not. YOU'RE a figment of his imagination.

Me: Who's?

Cast of thousands: CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow

Me: (pause) That guy's weirder than I thought. But I don't own him or anyone else. Apparently he owns me. (shrugs)

WARNING: This really isn't happy. Jack gets tortured. *********************Still flashback, remember**************************

Jack stared at the space where the ship - his ship - should be. For once, he was completely lost for words.

He grabbed the nearest person - a heavily built man, about a head taller than Jack with fierce set eyes - and asked wildly

"Did you see the ship that was here?"

"Aye, I did." The man answered, looking at him with a curious expression. "Set sail early this mornin' she did. Soon as she'd finished loading. Seemed to be in a terrible hurry. Captained by a woman." He spat. "Unlucky that. Still, she were a fetching thing, if you take my meaning." He laughed coarsely and nudged the pirate in the ribs, almost knocking the smaller, stunned man over.

"I see." Jack said softly. "Thank you." He walked away in a straight line, shoulders slumped and head bowed.

His informant watched him go, a triumphant glint in his eye.

Jack walked for a while, his mind spinning wildly. He had lost them ... her ... everything ...Again. A mutiny, and behind his back at that. If the crew had been unhappy why couldn't they have simply left? Could have taken their share of the treasure, he wouldn't have denied 'em that. Why did they have to steal his ship, his beautiful Pearl? And AnaMaria and Gibbs had gone along with it? No. Impossible. Surely. Ana had said she didn't doubt him. She wouldn't have gone and taken the Pearl after sayin' that. She was his first mate .. he quickly realised how unconvincing that was as an argument. The man had said, woman as a captain. Had to be AnaMaria. But she was his friend. Sort of. As much as anyone was.

"Could have said the same thing about Barbossa once." He reminded himself " And Bill Turner. He went along with the mutiny. Didn't like it, but didn't stop it." He sighed. "This. Isn't. Fair." He said aloud.

Several passers by stopped and stared. Jack stared back. They all found pressing business elsewhere.

Jack was almost disappointed. Could be that a fight would've made him feel better. He went and sat on the edge of the pier, legs dangling off the edge. He looked like nothing so much as a puppet whose strings had been cut.

"Not fair, no." he thought "But no-one ever said pirates would be fair. Never fell behind, but I've been left behind anyway. Least it isn't on that godforsaken island with only a single shot to keep me comp'ny."

" I'm still Captain Jack Sparrow." He said out loud "I got me ship back before, and took me revenge on the treacherous bastard who stole her. I can do it again, if necessary." He looked around hopefully, but everyone seemed to be avoiding him.

"Got to stop talking to meself." He muttered. "Got enough of a reputation already."

So. Now he needed a plan. Commandeering a ship seemed like a good move. And should be simple enough. But he'd missed the morning tide. Would have to wait till the evening. And, unfortunately, ships were always better guarded at night, cause that's when everyone tries to steal them. Allowing for all that, his best plan would be to make for the nearest tavern immediately and have a drink of rum. Or more than one. Could maybe start a fight too, work off some of his anger.

After having, many drinks, several fights and having been thrown out of three different inns, Jack found himself sitting at a corner table in the Dead Dog Tavern. It was a dingy, rowdy place. Most of its patrons looked like they hadn't seen sunlight or fresh water for decades. Jack liked it, it reminded him very much of some of his favourite spots in Tortuga.

He didn't feel like company though and the wild look in his eyes was enough to keep everyone away. So he was more than a little surprised when a man walked up and sat across from him.

"Evening. Remember me?"

Jack looked blank. He didn't remember him at all as it happened.

"You talked to me this morning. Wanted to know where a ship had gone. Don't think I gave you the answer you was hoping for. Can I buy you a drink to make up for it?" Jack frowned; this seemed a weird conversation. But he never turned down a free drink so he said

"If you like mate. Rum, if you'd be so kind."

"Sure," the man nodded and went up to the bar. He was gone a long time, and Jack assumed he'd thought better of his offer, but in time he came back, carefully carrying two tankards.

"'Ere you go." He set down one in front of Jack. "Oh, my names Howard Stenson by the way. Captain of the Merriana."

"Captain Jack Sparrow." Jack raised his rum to drink it, but noticed that it smelt odd. He frowned, and glanced up to ask his companion if he had noticed anything wrong but stopped when he caught sight of Stenson's expression. Undisguised, malevolent triumph. He put the tankard down with a bang.

"What exactly is going on here mate?" He demanded.

Stenson sighed. "I was hoping to do this without a fuss." Jack stood up.

"Well, I think I'm makin' a fuss." He stepped away from the table, and became aware of four very large men moving towards him.

"Look, if its something personal between you an' me, we can sort it out." He looked straight at Stenson, who shook his head:

"I'm afraid I just want the money, mate. There's a bounty on your no-good pirate hide." With an infuriating air of nonchalance he snapped his fingers.

Instantly the four thugs rushed Jack. He wasn't altogether surprised. His hand had found the tankard of tainted rum behind his back which he smashed across the face of the first man, with devastating effect. As he leapt back in agony, Jack punched him in the stomach and, as the man fell forwards, brought his knee up into his face. Having gained some room, Jack reached for his cutlass - only to discover it wasn't there. He'd left it, along with his pistol (and hat, although that was less immediately relevant) on the seat by the table.

Stenson held them up mockingly. "lookin' fer these?"

"Give me back my effects." Jack shouted, rather foolishly, he immediately realised, and turned back to the fight. The three remaining men appeared to have a better idea of working together than their fallen comrade and came at him from different sides. Jack managed to stay alive and even ahead though, mainly by fighting dirty. It could never be said that Captain Jack Sparrow was above using his elbows, knees or even teeth to win a fight. Plus several random bits of furniture.

Two more of Stenson's sailors were down, leaving only one facing Jack. They eyed each other warily. Both were bruised and bloodied. Unfortunately though, Jack had completely forgotten Stenson himself. Who took the opportunity to sneak up and grab him from behind. He twisted and flung his head back violently, catching Stenson full in the face. The man screamed in pain and rage and with all of his considerable strength, stamped down hard on Jack's leg. There was an audible snap, and Jack cried out in agony. As he fell to the ground, Stenson hit him hard on the side of his head.

"Oh bloody hell." He muttered, as he passed out.

The first thing Jack was aware of was a terrible headache. After that he noticed the movement of a ship. "The Pearl?" he wondered. But somehow it didn't feel like the Pearl. He searched his mind and recalled what had happened. His ship and crew, gone. The fight. So that was why his head hurt so much. And his leg ... oh god. Wincing he opened his eyes. The leg looked about as good as it felt. And it looked - wrong. Slowly, he turned his head, trying to figure out where he was. The deck of a ship. Leaning against a mast by the feel of it. He tried to move forwards, but couldn't. So. Tied up on a strange ship.

"Interesting." He said out loud. "But hardly a good sign."

"Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness Jack." A voice said. Stenson.

"I must be past the first sign by now. And that's Captain Jack Sparrow, thank you. Its not that hard to remember."

"I'm not going to call any filthy pirate 'Captain'." He spat onto the deck.

"You really should clean that up mate." Jack said conversationally. "I mean on your own ship .. This is your ship I presume. The Meri, Mari, Mori, Molly?"

"Merriana! And address me as Sir! You'd do well to remember your place."

"I don't have a place. I was thinking of getting a nice little place in Tortuga, maybe with roses climbing up the door and a little garden ..."

Jack's ramblings were cut short by a hard kick in the ribs. Followed by several more. He could hear Stenson screaming at him, saying that he would regret his insolence, but could deal with nothing except the pain. His tormentor didn't stop until after Jack had passed into merciful blackness.

The next time that Jack woke up the same thing happened. And the next time, and the time after that. Sometimes, the sadistic Captain didn't wait for Jack to give him an excuse for the punishment. When he wasn't actually beating Jack up, he occupied himself taunting him with his fate when they arrived at Port Royal.

"They're going to hang you mate. An' there's a good chance you won't die immediately. You'll hang there, slowly strangling till your tongue turns black."

Still, Jack kept up his pointless defiance. As far as he was concerned there wasn't much else to do. He refused to scream at any of Stenson's attacks, and repeatedly stated that he wasn't going to call any man sir.

He could tell that Stenson was getting more and more frustrated with him, and beneath his bravado he was actually worried. He'd been thinking hard for the past three days, but for once, he had no idea what he was going to do. He'd also had nothing to eat or drink in that time. His situation was looking more than a little bleak.

Stenson walked up to him. Jack looked up. "Ullo, mate." He said casually. "Got any rum goin' spare." The other captain's face went purple.

"Interesting..."

Stenson dragged Jack to his feet. He gasped as he felt the weight on his broken leg. Somehow, he was turned round without being untied. A few moments passed. The ropes were the only things keeping Jack on his feet. Then, he heard the crack of a whip, and felt it cut deeply into his flesh. Again. And again. And again. It came as rather a shock when he heard himself sobbing in pain.

After that, it was difficult to judge the passing of time. Stenson continued to hit him. The wounds on his back were continuously reopened by the mast rubbing on his back. It hurt all the time.

One night, Jack woke up to find the ship in the middle of a storm. The waves came crashing straight over the side of the ship and the rain lashed down on him. He was soaking and freezing, but the ropes prevented him from being swept over the side, and he was able to drink a couple of mouthfuls of rainwater by tilting his head back. He soon fell asleep again.

The next morning he felt really, really cold, and he was sweating heavily. It hurt when he breathed and not just because of the ribs. "If I had that pistol now." He thought. "I'd shoot meself, and get it over with." Then he saw Stenson approaching. "No." he thought, suddenly decisive. "I'll see him dead before I go. And that's a promise."

******************************************************************* Ok, that was a very long chapter. And not a very nice one. Uh, sorry 'bout that. Please review anyway?