Thanks to my darling wonderful Katrina for helping with all this - the whole story is really a mutual thing, I just do the writing. I don't own the story etc. etc. etc. .

***

A Hard Man To Predict

Jack wakes up slowly. Maggie is still asleep beside him, and barely stirs as he gets out of bed. These last few days have been amazing for him, and the nights just keep getting better and better. Tonight though, tonight is the last night he has with her before he leaves Tortuga for God knows how long. It's that or get caught - he's heard that the redcoats are still after him.

He dresses silently, trying not to wake her until he has to. He finds his shirt behind the door, his jacket partly under the bed, and his hat - where's his hat? He looks around for it, and sees it slung on top of Maggie's dressing table. He sweeps it up casually, and knocks something to the floor with a crash. Maggie stirs, but sinks back into sleep.

Jack bends down and picks up the object, turning it over and over in his hands. It's a bird, a phoenix he thinks, carved of some kind of dark wood. Thanks to its fall, it's lost the tip of one tail feather. He'll have to admit to that later. He puts it down on the table, and walks softly around to where Maggie lies sleeping. He leans downs and kisses her cheek gently. She opens her eyes blearily and smiles up at him.

'I 'ave to go now, love'

'See you tonight, Jack.'

He hates the way she only calls him Jack when they're together in a very literal sense, or when she's hardly aware of it. The rest of the time she calls him Captain. He must tell her not to, it cuts him to shreds every time. He tiptoes out of her room, down the corridor, down the stairs and out into the morning light of Tortuga. The streets are covered with the drunk or the dead, with various maids out heading to the market. They must be maids, as the whores would still be in bed at this time. Just like Maggie is.

Jack hates to think of her as a whore, even though she is one, even though she is his whore. He hates to think of her with another man, after he's gone. He knows she hates being one; he knows she was respectable, once. She was a maid for some rich woman, her and her sister. Shame how she is all alone now. Maybe he should do something for her, leave her some money.she won't see much of what he gave Scarlet for her.

He's reached the docks now, and is heading for his ship. It's not really his; he stole it from another pirate, a female one, unusually, only a short while ago. He needs to tell the men on guard to round up the rest of the crew so they can prepare to set sail tomorrow. But as he turns the corner that will bring him in sight of the ship, he sees red, everywhere. Redcoats and yet more redcoats are passing down the line of ships that are docked here. Jack knows his time is up, there's no way he can escape from them, no way can he get his ship out before they reach it.

He doesn't panic, he only thinks of Maggie. He can't leave her with no means to support herself, he won't leave her in the brothel to become hard and bitter like Scarlet can be.

He breaks into a run, knowing that in his cabin on his newly commandeered ship is a chest full of silver that arrived as part of a package deal with the ship. They haven't seen him yet, as he speeds up the gangplank, past his panic-stricken guards, and along the deck, into his cabin. He kicks the chest open, and shoves as much as he can of the contents into the nearest bag he can find.

As he runs back down the gangplank, they spot him. He runs faster and faster, back to the brothel. He crashes through the door, back up the stairs and into Maggie's room where she is sitting on her bed, brushing her hair.

'What's wrong? What's happening?' he reads the shock on her face.

He kisses her, hard, and presses the bag into her hands.

'I'll see you again, soon.'

'Jack!' she calls after him, as he runs out of her door, 'I love you!'

He looks back over his shoulder and, on impulse, although he hasn't really thought about it, calls 'Likewise!'

As he darts out of the front door, he cannons into the waiting soldier. He hears two gunshots and feels two dull aches in his right shoulder. Then, all is darkness. Maggie runs out of the door after him, and sees Jack lying on his back on the ground with blood pouring out of him. He is being hoisted up by two soldiers, who are taking him away.

'No!' she screams, 'no! Bring him back!'

Another soldier dashes forward and restrains her, but she falls back in a dead faint.

----------

She wakes up on her own bed in her own room. Scarlet is mopping her brow with a damp cloth.

'What..?'

'Lie still. Don't try to speak.'

'But.Jack.'

'Yes, Captain Sparrow has been taken, but you're safe and that's all that matters.'

Tears begin to fall unbidden from Maggie's eyes. Scarlet's lips are thin; she knows that this girl cannot stay here. 'Maggie, you have to leave, you don't belong here, not while you're in love with him.'

Maggie thinks of the bag of silver Jack left her, and says nothing.

'Do you have anywhere to go?' Scarlet doesn't really care, but she needs to pretend that she does, for the sake of the girl.

'My sister, in Port Royal.'

'Good. As soon as you can go down to the docks, and see if you can find a ship to take you.'

Maggie nods weakly, and slips back into unconsciousness.

***

What will happen to Jack? What will happen to Maggie? Will they ever see each other again? You'll find out, just as soon as I update again. In the meantime, review please!