Finally, a spare moment to get this chapter up!!!!!!!!

We were on the island way before nightfall. I wandered around for a while, before I remembered that Jack had given me the money to get the supplies I had spent all morning and half the afternoon checking four times.

I was on the rum when I met Tajo. He was small and skinny, and so dirty it was hard to tell if he was dark-skinned or just unclean. I was running down the filthy street, when I noticed that he was running right at me. Unable to stop, we knocked into each other, sending both of us on our butts. He hid something behind his back as a couple of soldiers ran towards us. Tajo ran behind me, cowering. He couldn't be past ten years old.

"Come here, boy." One said, pushing me out of the way. He shoved what he was hiding into my hands. It was a loaf of bread, still warm from the oven, and half eaten. It hit me then. He had stolen his first meal in probably three days, and had gotten caught.

"Excuse me." I said, not thinking about what I was doing. I mean, how could I just stand there and watch the kid get taken by these men, to God only knows what. "But what do you want with my boy?"

"What?" They both stared at me like I was insane.

"This boy is in my service." I said, my brain screaming at me to shut up. Unfortunately, my mouth never was good at listening. "I insist on knowing what you want with him."

"The boy stole the bread." One man grumbled.

I turned to the boy. "Did you?" I asked, my eyes telling him to play along.

"Si, mi dama." He said. "But only because I ran out of money. I was going to go back with the money for the baker, once I was sure that this was what you wanted."

"Well, as long as you were going to go back." I reached into my belt purse and pulled out enough gold to more than pay for the bread. "If you gentlemen would be so gracious to take this to the baker, I'm sure all of this will be put in the past."

"But-"One began to protest.

"Come on." The other said, and they left.

The boy's attitude changed immediately. "You didn't have to do that." He said, moodily. "I could have gotten out of it myself."

"Firstly, you ought to be thanking me." I said, handing him the bread. "I bought you the rest of your meal. And secondly, I was saving my neck as much as yours. When you shoved that bread at me, the first thing they thought was that the bread was for me, and that you were my accomplice."

"Sorry." The boy said, walking with me as I searched for a place to get the rum. "And thanks."

"No problem. Now, do you have a place to stay? A home? Anything?" I asked, wondering if there was anything else I could do for the boy.

He thought for a moment. "I have bread." He finally said.

That startled a laugh out of me. "Well, mi amigo," I said. "You need a little more than bread to live. Come. If you stick with me for a while, you'll at least have clothes that actually fit you, some good food, something that'll fill you up better than bread. What's your name?"

He swallowed his bread before he said "Tajo."

"Do you know how to sail?" I asked.

"I can keep a ship from sinkin', but not much else." He said. "Why?"

"I work on a ship, and I think my captain could use an extra hand." It was only a half lie. Jack could use an extra hand. Just not someone so small. "If you're interested."

"He wouldn't mind?" Tajo looked delighted at the idea. "He really wouldn't?"

"Not at all." I said, as I crossed my fingers out of his sight.

So I took him to Jack. And other than an eye roll and a "She's at it again." Comment, Jack took Tajo with out a fuss. Then he took me for a little chat.

"Kate, I know how you are." He said. I took it that he still remembered back when I would pick up kids from anywhere and give then food and clothes and other essentials for living. "But we can't just do this at random."

"Jack, they would have stuck him in a prison for the rest of his life." I said. "Just because he couldn't fight the temptation of a meal. It isn't right for them to do that. How could I let them waste his life like that? And I know you always say that it's just going to turn and bite me later on, but it never does. Everyone I've brought to you has been useful."

"I know, Kate." He said, acting like it was nothing. "I know."

HE sent me back to do the work that I was supposed to be doing. I looked down at the considerable small list. I noticed that Jack had added something while I had been helping Tajo. In his slightly wobbly, highly flourished handwriting were the words

cutlass

Simply and to the point. But who was the sword for?? Jack would never just get a new sword at random. He had had the same sword for ages, and showed no signs of giving it up. Then I remembered him saying that he intended to get me one. I sighed. He didn't have to do this. But he had given me a direct order to get exactly what was on the list. There was only one thing to do. I took off for the blacksmiths.

I opened the door with some difficulty. Once I finally got it open, it wouldn't close. I could feel my face go scarlet with embarrassment. Even though there was only one other person in the tiny shop, it felt like a million eyes on me. I struggled with the door for another minute before I felt large, strong hands take the latch away.

"Allow me." The owner of the hands said, and he shut the door without difficulty. I shot the offending door an evil glare, before turning to the man that had rescued me from it.

"Thank you." I said, smiling. Then I got a good look at him. I felt my jaw drop.

He had dark, wavy brown hair, falling to his broad shoulders. His chocolaty brown eyes were all too familiar, as the locked contact with mine. He looked surprised, as though he had never seen anyone quite like me before. I was suddenly aware that my hair was a mess because of the wind tearing through the town, and of the freckles, dancing across my nose and cheeks, that refused to leave me be.

This man, who looked exactly like my father, abruptly remembered that I was a customer. "What can I do for you, miss?" He said, turning back to the sword he had been pounding to death before we had the little mishap with the door.

"I need a sword." I replied, remembering that I did have a voice. "And I shall like to know your name."

He walked over to what appeared to be every sword on the island. "To fit you, miss?" He asked.

"Yes." I said. "You haven't answered my question."

"Will Turner," he said, handing me a beautiful sword.

When I heard him say that, I promptly dropped the sword with a clatter so loud, I was sure Jack heard it aboard the Pearl. "T-t-turner?" I managed to get out. "Did you say Will Turner? The son of Bootstrap Bill Turner?"

He looked at me warily. "Yes." He confirmed. "And what'll your name be, miss?"

I struggled to keep my voice steady as I said "Kate Turner."

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Short chapter, but what can I say, it's long overdue!!