Author's Note: Hey everyone…*sheepishly looks up* my muse decided to take a vacation, but hopefully she'll stick with me for a while yet, to continue writing on this story! Sorry it's been sooooo long!! Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter!

Tonight had to be the night. All of the saloons were telling stories of how The Black Pearl had taken down the merchant ship that was bound for Port Royal with the infamous Jack Sparrow. People thought he was going soft because he didn't just kill the people on the ship…it wasn't his style. If the Pearl wasn't here, where else would it be? The person clad head to toe in black quietly slipped out into the dark night. This moment had been a long time in coming, and there was no way that an opportunity such as this would come along so soon again. The black clad figure was heading toward the Pearl.

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Jack anxiously tapped his fingers on the deck of the ship. The sun had set long ago, and he really wanted to claim Felicia's inheritance, and get the treasure…and if Felicia just so happened to fall for him in the process, well that was just an added bonus. They had arrived in Port Royal a ½ hour earlier, they were just waiting for the scout to come back and tell them it was all-clear to head to shore. The Black Pearl was practically hidden in the dark night on the ocean, but Jack didn't want a lot of commotion for this quick trip. In and out. Any authority that tried to stop them would be easily taken care of, but it would draw unwanted attention that would detain them longer then they wanted.

"She's back!" Gibbs shouted as Anamaria climbed up onto the Pearl from her row boat. She glanced around the deck and immediately made her way toward Jack.

"The Navy has a few officers posted randomly around, but we expected that." She said a bit breathlessly. "Other then that, the coast is clear, and we're ready to head out."

"Excellent." Jack nodded to her. "Prepare to 'ead out!" He yelled to his crew; instantly the pirates started in motion. Jack looked around at the flurry of bodies until he found Will. Will was sitting on the opposite side of the ship, absently scratching Mic behind the ears. Jack knew how excited Will had been to confront Elizabeth, so he quickly made his way over to the rookie pirate to get him going. "Will, ye ready?"

"I've changed my mind, Jack." Will said sullenly, not even glancing up at him. "I'm not going. I'm not ready to face her after all."

"Ye can't give up now!" Jack said, squatting beside him. "Aven't ye been practicing what to say to 'er all week?"

"Yeah…" Will said quietly. "But I've changed my mind, she doesn't want me, and I'm still not ready to face her." He looked at Jack beseechingly, "You didn't read the note, Jack."

Jack looked at his friend closely for a moment, knowing that he wouldn't be able to change Will's mind. Besides…when had Jack been good at cheering people up? He got a glint in his eye and poked Will in the shoulder. "ow about this? Ye come to shore with us, I'll find ye a willing woman. Ye can get the juices out of yer head and you'll be good as gold. What say you to that?" Jack shrugged. It wasn't really how he had meant to say it, but it worked. He knew that it would cheer himself right up, and most of the other pirates on board as well.

Will chuckled a bit. Jack wanted to find him a whore? In Jack's odd and unusual way, it was showing that he really cared for Will. "Thanks Jack…" Will said. "But I think I'll stay here and keep Mic company…guard the ship. That sort of thing."

"Are ye sure?" Jack asked. "I'll give ye more time then the others!" He waggeled his eyebrows at Jack suggestively.

Even through his foul mood Will laughed. "I'll pass."

Jack shrugged as he stood up. "Your loss, mate. Your loss." He winked down at Will and went off to find Felicia to gain her inheritance.

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"Why couldn't we have shared a boat with Anamaria?" Felicia asked, glancing at Jack as he rowed the two of them ashore. "We could have fit more people then just the two of us in here." It wasn't that she minded being alone in the boat with Jack, but she thought that she should say something. He was bound to think she was strange if she didn't find something to argue about with him.

Inwardly Jack grumbled. He wasn't sure why he hadn't let anyone else ride to shore with them. It had been a long time since he had had some time with Felicia all to himself. He wasn't about to try anything with her, not as important as tonight was to the future. He just wanted to be able see her again. "Anamaria and the others 'ave their own schedule, luv, as we 'ave our own. It wouldn't 'ave made much sense all riding together in one." He stopped rowing long enough to take in her expression. "Understand, luv?"

"Oh." Felicia said softly. Her crush had only intensified the past week, and she was a little disappointed that he didn't have any other reason that he wanted her alone in the boat. Jack sighed softly to himself and continued rowing. He looked to have his eyes upon the sky, but he was watching her the whole time.

Fifteen Minutes Later…

"An' ye sure that this is the place?" Jack whispered to Felicia, his mouth pressed close to her hair to keep the noise down…at least that's what he told himself. He was standing very close to her.

"Yeah." Felicia said in a normal voice. "This is where my Grandmother had said it would be."

"Shhh!!" Jack shushed loudly, pulling her into a dark alleyway. He whispered, "Someone might 'ave 'eard ye, luv."

"Like who?" Felicia asked in her normal voice again. "This house is abandoned. It has been ever since She died. Who's gonna hear?"

"Maybe them?" Jack asked motioning toward the light that was dimly shining through a top window in the house. Felicia hadn't noticed that, Jack had seen it right away instantly putting him into 'thoughtful pirate mode'.

Felicia's eyes went wide and she ducked closer to Jack. "Who would be there?!" She asked in a harsh whisper. "Nobody should be there, nobody has moved in!"

"Well when we get there, we'll 'ave to tell 'em that, aye?" Jack whispered back sardonically. He winced as Felicia hit him on the shoulder. "Let's go in, stay behind me." She rolled her eyes as he grabbed her arm and forcefully shoved her behind him. What…was he actually trying to protect her?

He withdrew his pistol and slowly started to creep forward toward the door that was closest to them. Felicia stumbled over a crack in the ground and ran into Jack. Jack let out an 'oomph' as she flew into him and they landed on the soft dirt of the ground. Voices were instantly heard, and feet scuffled on the inside of the house. Jack grabbed Felicia toward him and rolled with her toward the safety of the shadows closest to the house. Felicia ended up landing on top of him, his hands securing to her waist to keep her there.

"Did you hear that?" A voice was heard from one of the above windows.

"Do you think she's here yet?" A second voice asked the first.

Felicia's eyes went wide as she recognized her brother's voices. How had they gotten here before her? She opened up her mouth to tell Jack who they were, but he put a finger to his lips to silence her. She closed her mouth then saw something above Jack's head rustle the leaves. Her eyes were as big as saucers as she attempted to wrestle herself away from Jack. Jack gave her a look that said 'What are you doing?! Stop it!' He didn't release her and Felicia started to struggle harder when the rustling stopped and she saw what had made it. She didn't notice that the voices above had died down; she had all of her attention on then massive centipede that was making its way toward Jack's head. This thing was huge; it looked like a fuzzy eyebrow. Felicia shuddered as she saw it crawl in Jack's shirt. She opened her mouth to scream but Jack quickly put his grubby hand over it to silence her.

"What's wrong, luv?!" He whispered forcefully toward her face. "Keep this up an' we're dead." He warned. He shifted his back a little as something was making it itch. It only intensified and made its way toward his sleeve. Jack's eyes were drawn toward the sleeve of his right arm that was lying on his stomach. Felicia kept her eyes trained on it also as suddenly the hairy eye browed centipede emerged onto Jack's stomach. "BLOODY HELL!!" Jack yelled out and quickly stood, dumping Felicia to the ground and brushing his clothes to get the disgusting thing off himself.

"I tried to tell you!" Felicia hissed back at him, starting to smile…then laugh nervously. All of her pent up nerves escaped into giggles. She couldn't have stopped laughing even if she tried. Jack being startled by a centipede wasn't something she'd expected.

"Well ye should 'ave tried 'arder!" Jack growled to her, itching his back and arms in the process. He felt tingly all over now; he could just imagine hairy little centipedes crawling all over him. They were about as bad as waking up to rats staring him in the face. He glowered at Felicia as she kept laughing.

Neither one of them noticed how loud they had suddenly become, until a lantern held by someone flashed brightly in their eyes, and they heard the sound of a pistol being cocked. "Well, well, well." A loud voice said. "If it ain't my little sister."

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Will absently plucked at a stray string that was attached to his shirt. He had tried to convince himself that he had done the right thing by staying on the ship. It wasn't the right time to confront Elizabeth. She's probably happily married to Norrington with a kid on the way, he thought disgustedly. Creep.

Mic was laying sleepily on Will's lap, breathing evenly. Will absently stroked the dog's head. He was glad he had Jack. Although their first meeting may have been a little….awkward…Jack was the best friend he'd ever had…after Elizabeth. He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. He had to get her out of his head. Soon enough they'd be sailing off to Jack only knew where, and he could forget about her. Well he could try and forget about her anyway. Will looked down as Mic's head jerked up unexpectedly, startling Will a bit. A very low growl escaped from Mic's throat that sent a chill down Will's spine.

"Mic, what is it?" Will asked softly, half wondering if he expected the puppy to talk back to him. Mic leapt to his feet and continued to growl softly at the darkness, making the hairs on Will's neck stand on end. He heard a scuffling noise on the side opposite he was at. Someone was out there. He glanced around quickly and grabbed his sword that was only a few feet away and quickly stood up. He slowly followed Mic to the edge of the ship where suddenly a black clad figure leapt onto the boat from the side, very nimbly. Mic started howling and barking loudly. Will curbed his beating heart and set the point of his sword to the intruder's throat. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" He asked roughly. "Mic, shush!" Mic whimpered slightly and stopped barking, but stayed right by Will's side not taking his eyes off the intruder. The person took a hesitant step forward before slowly lowering her hood to reveal her face. Will's eyes went wide, and he asked, "Elizabeth?"

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well….hope that wasn't too bad after an extended hiatus…although it should have been longer. What do you guys think? Are there any quotes/ideas/suggestions/actions that you want any of the characters to say or do sometime in the story? Let me know, I'll see if I can work it in! =)