Author's randomness: Thank you so much for the reviews! As ever I am truly grateful. I have 37 of them, I don't believe it. 37 people clicked on the little button because of my story. Heeheehee. Also, yes Return of the King is fantastic! But I reckoned the Two Towers is better. Hey, Johhny Depp got nominated for a golden globe for being Jack. That's awesome.

Cast of thousands Get on with it.

Me: Hey, this is the ninth chapter of this story I've written in twelve days.

Cast of thousands: You need to get yourself a girl, mate.

Me: *runs after Cast of thousands with sword before they can call me a eunuch*

Cast of thousands: Um, thousand to one odds against you love.

Me: I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. Savvy?

Cast of thousands: No. You're not.

Me: *stamping foot* I am! I am, I am, I am! Well, actually, no I'm not. And I don't own him or anything else either.

*********************************************************************

Jack refused to say a word until after he had drank some rum, so rather than simply sit and watch him drink it, Will, helped by interruptions from Elizabeth, told him how they had got him out of Port Royal.

"I can't believe Norrrington helped you." Jack said afterwards, shaking his head in disbelief. "The man must have fallen for me irresistible charm more than I thought."

Will rolled his eyes. Elizabeth bit her lip.

"Actually," Will said "I think that what Stenson did to you offended his sense of honour."

There was a sudden tension. Jack looked at Will, his face expressionless. "How do you know about Stenson?"

"You were talking about him in your sleep. You kept shouting at him to leave you alone. I figured, I mean, I thought that he was the one that hurt you." Will's voice trailed off under the pirate's steady gaze.

Jack continued to watch him for a moment, but his eyes held a far-away look. He breathed in sharply and looked down.

"Yeah. He was." Keeping his head down, not meeting either of their eyes, Jack told them what had happened; the unrest of his crew, finding the ship gone, meeting Stenson and the fight. He glossed over what had happened aboard the Merriana, but both Will and Elizabeth could remember his injuries and read between the lines.

"An' as far as I'm concerned that's about it, memory wise. I can remember a few things from Port Royal, least I assume it was Port Royal. Being dragged places mostly. The ground hitting me. And kissing Norrington, that sticks in my mind rather."

Will and Elizabeth exchanged a glance, and without a word being exchanged, both decided not to ask.

Jack took a long drink and stared out across the sea. Telling Will and Elizabeth had hurt. Letting them see how far he'd fallen was frightening. He hated to be thought of as weak, helpless, pitiable, even when he knew he was. But he'd owed them that, he knew. Owed them ..

"You shouldn't have done it." He said suddenly.

"Shouldn't have done what?" Elizabeth was confused. Will suspected what his friend meant.

"Shouldn't have rescued me. Did it twice now. It's going to be difficult for you to live normally in Port Royal, an' don't say I'm wrong, 'cause I'm right. I stayed away for two years, didn't write or anything so that you could work on that happily ever after thing. Even though I missed you."

Will had been right about Jack's meaning. He had to choose his words carefully. "And did you ever think," he asked "That maybe we'd miss you? That we'd worry on not hearing from you?"

"That's not the point." Jack shook his head stubbornly. "You can't live honest lives and be friends with a pirate." Friends. Shouldn't have said that. Pirates aren't supposed to have any friends. He wasn't supposed to need friends. Wasn't supposed to need anyone.

"Jack?" Will said gently. The other man had turned pale after his last sentence. Guessing what was wrong, Will put a hand on the others arm. "We are your friends. Both of us. You can trust us."

"I know that. I think. But," Jack waved his hands slowly I thought I could trust AnaMaria and Gibbs. I thought they were my friends." They had to strain to hear Jack's voice. "And Barbossa, before that."

There was a pause, then Elizabeth startled all three of them by standing up and hugging Jack tightly. Then, without saying anything, she sat back down again. Jack watched her with a slightly bemused expression. Will watched Jack, and started laughing quietly. Two sets of eyes turned to stare at him.

"I can't help it." He choked. "The look on his face." Elizabeth started laughing too.

"What sort of a man laughs when the lass he's going to marry embraces another man." Jack wondered out loud. "Oh, I know, a eunuch." Will threw a plate at Jack, which missed, deliberately. It went overboard and hit the water with a splash.

"Another fine piece of crockery goes down to Davy Jones' locker." Jack said dramatically.

Somehow, this made Elizabeth and Will laugh harder, and Jack joined in this time.

The joking served to end Jack's dark mood for while, but still, Elizabeth felt that not everything had been said that needed to be said.

"I can't believe that the crew would mutiny." She said, after they'd grown sober once more.

"Neither could I luv." Jack said heavily.

"Are you sure there couldn't have been another explanation." She persisted.

"No, the man I asked said .. " Jack's eyes widened suddenly. He sat, frozen for a few seconds then, seemingly oblivious to his wounded leg, leapt up and began pacing up and down the deck, swearing, using all the words he'd ever heard in his illustrious career as a pirate. It was an impressive display, and Will would have liked to take notes, but it was hardly appropriate in front of Elizabeth who, as he glanced over at her, looked like she was also taking mental notes. That wouldn't do.

"Jack." Will said sternly. No reaction. He stood up and grabbed Jack's arm. "Jack! What is it?"

Jack turned round quickly, to face the younger man, but in doing so lost his balance and almost toppled over. Will put an arm round him quickly, led him back and sat him down again. Then he sat down himself.

"What is it?" he asked again.

"The man I talked to" Jack said, a look of anger on his face, all directed at himself, "The man who basically told me that AnaMaria stole the Black Pearl, was Howard Stenson."

Elizabeth blinked. "The same Stenson who ..?"

" Yes." Jack cut in. "So, actually I don't know what happened to the Pearl."

"Maybe Stenson was a pirate himself and stole it? After all, she is the fastest ship in the Caribbean, remember." Will offered.

"You don't have to tell me. But no, Stenson's no pirate. He hates pirates. Trust me."

"He still must have been involved in the Black Pearl's disappearance." Will insisted. "So you see Jack, you're crew didn't betray you."

Jack shook his head. "Not necessarily. Stenson could just have been taking advantage. Could have seen the opportune moment and grabbed it. He said he was only interested in the reward on my head. If he saw me looking for the ship, knew it had mutinied, then recognised me ... his story could still be true." There was an odd tone in Jack's voice, as if he were trying to stop himself from getting his hopes up.

"Well," Elizabeth said briskly. "I think we should all get some sleep if we're going to find out what happened to the Pearl and Jack's crew."

"We?" Jack asked.

"Well yes," Elizabeth said in a matter of fact tone of voice. "You're going to go after the Black Pearl and we're going to go with you."

Only half right, luv. I'm going to go after the Pearl and me crew, and your going to go home."

"You can hardly walk, Jack. How do you expect to find the ship?" Will asked.

Jack sat up straight. "I'm ."

"Captain Jack Sparrow. Yes, we know. But you've been ill, and your leg won't be fully healed for a while yet. So you'll need help tracking the Pearl down. And we're what you've got." Will said firmly.

Jack considered for a few moments. He couldn't let them do this. But he probably couldn't stop them and he definitely couldn't get the Black Pearl back on his own. Not at present. And he didn't feel like waiting ten years to see her again. So all things considered, best go along with the daft pair.

"Alright then." He said. Then he frowned suddenly as a thought struck him.

"Where's me hat? And my compass?"

Elizabeth and Will both looked blank. "They weren't in the prison." Will said.

"That bastard Stenson must have them. Once I get the Pearl back, I'm going after him. I don't like people taking my effects."

***************************************************************

Well, there you go then. Jack finally figured out that Stenson might have lied to him. Well he kinda did. Damn, that man is stubborn. Well he is the way I write him. Which is probably completely out of character.

Uh, Jack's opinion of himself is not necessarily my opinion of Jack. If you catch my meaning. If you don't, don't worry about it.

Please review, go on. Its nearly Christmas. Unless you're reading this story later than I'm writing it, or worse, earlier. But review anyway.