So many lovely reviews! I am so happy, I have over 100! Thank-yous to plot- inspiring people are at the end of the chapter; I wouldn't want to spoil it for you all now would I? WARNING! LONG CHAPTER AHEAD!

*** A Hard Man To Predict

She sees Susie, Matthew, Edward, Elizabeth, all upset, all frantic, 'Where's Faye, Where's Faye?' It echoes around her head, face after tear- stained face appearing in from of her eyes...

'Phoenix? Phoenix?'

A gentle nudge in her side elicits a small grunt. She has to get back, has to let them know she's alright...

'Could you wake up, lass?'

She turns over, and wrenches her eyes open, slowly remembering where she is and what she's doing here.

'Hmnph?'

'The crew are getting ready to make way. Since you'll be coming with us, I really think they ought to know you're here.'

As she shows no sign of getting out of the hammock, Jack has no choice but to lift her up and set her on her feet.

'Sorry love,' he says as he takes her up on deck, 'but this is important.'

Phoenix wakes up as soon as she is up on deck and the cold air hits her. There are about twenty toughened pirates, some of whom she recognises as having lain groaning at her feet in Scarlet's tavern. These ones almost imperceptibly seem to back away from her.

'Alright you filthy rabble, listen up!'

He seems oblivious to the fact that that they were all attentive before he shouted, and also to the fact that Phoenix was asleep five minutes ago and that loud noises don't go down well with the newly woken-up.

'This,' he says, clapping a heavy hand down on Phoenix's shoulder, 'is my daughter, Phoenix.'

He waits for the murmur of surprise to die down before he carries on.

'She'll be with us for a while, and all of you, and I mean all of you, are going to help her in any way you possibly can. Archie, what are you looking so bloody scared about?'

The redheaded man addressed as Archie, who Phoenix recognises partly from his hair and partly from the black eye she gave him, swallows nervously.

'Nothing, Captain.'

'Good. Off you go then, carry on.'

The crew dutifully continue with their tasks, and Jack removes him arm from around Phoenix's shoulder.

'Father,' she almost chokes on the unfamiliar word, 'I need a favour.'

'Yes?'

'I want to go back to Port Royal.'

His surprise shows clearly. 'What? Why, you only just got here!'

'I know, I know, I don't want to leave, but everyone must be so worried...I don't know what I was thinking just running off and not leaving a letter or anything to explain.'

'I don't know, it's dangerous for us around Port Royal...too many navy ships, too many redcoats...'

'Please, I need to go, they might think I've been kidnapped or murdered or anything, please, Father'- that word again-'please.'

'No, it would be stupid to even try. The secret of being a successful pirate is choosing your battles wisely. Learn this, lass, and you'll be a very successful pirate.'

-------

However, the secret of being a successful daughter, as Phoenix discovers, is knowing how to wrap your father around your little finger. This is how the Black Pearl came to leave the wonders of Tortuga for that straight- jacket of propriety, Port Royal.

On the third day of their voyage, Phoenix is in the crow's nest, on lookout. As soon as they crew found she has the magic combination of good eyesight, an ability to climb (despite her female clothing), and no fear of heights, they gladly left lookout duty to her.

She loves the sensation of being up so high. This is what it must be like to fly, she thinks to herself. There are fewer ships on the ocean than she had supposed, and far fewer navy ships that she had ever thought possible. She hasn't even seen one yet...Just as this thought crosses through her brain; she sees white sails on the horizon, coming straight at them.

Quickly, she takes out the telescope Jack gave her, and holds it up to her eye. Faintly, from the top mast, she can see the Union Jack flying. As fast as she can she scrambles down the rigging, yelling her discovery. The crew stop work and dash to the port side. Jack appears out of his cabin, and Phoenix tells him breathlessly what she has seen.

Jack takes charge wonderfully.

'Run up the British flag, and pass them as wide as you can! Phoenix, get back up to the crow's nest and tell me anything you see – if they speed up or turn I want to know as soon as possible. Get ready to run out the guns just in case...'

Jack's orders fade in her ears as she climbs up to the crow's nest again. The other ship is much closer now, moving at a steady speed on a course to intercept. She shouts this down as loudly as she can, and sees Archie hurry away to tell it to Jack.

She looks back again with the telescope and can just make out a person in the crow's nest of the other ship peering at her, with a similar telescope. She can even see the soldiers running about on deck, like little ants. And then, near the prow is the commander, resplendent in uniform. She looks further down, and nearly swallows her own tongue. Their guns are out.

The climb down the rigging flashes past, and she pants out this intelligence to Jack.

'Alright, they're looking for a fight, so we're going to give them one! Run out the guns! Now!'

He catches sight of Phoenix's panicked face.

'You fought me and almost won. You can handle these bastards. Get to the prow so they can see you clearly – I doubt that those honourable gentlemen would do a young woman like yourself any harm.'

His confidence in her is genuine, so she does as he says. The ship is close now, but Phoenix runs down to her tiny cabin, hauls her sword out of her case, tucks her daggers in her boots and runs as fast as she can to the prow. She holds her sword high above her head, hair streaming in the wind, hoping the heroic pose will make her feel more courageous and less like she's going to die.

And so it happens, that on this other ship, the Dauntless, Matthew sees the figure of what he assumes to be some pirate woman standing on the prow. Suddenly, he is taken back to that day in the smithy that seems like years ago. He saw this image in his mind then, and before he knows it he is sprinting down the deck as fast as he can, screaming at them not to shoot.

Phoenix sees the form hurtle along the deck of the British ship, and hears its voice, muted thought it is by the roar of the pirates. She begins her own sprint down the length of the Pearl, shrieking like a harpy for them not to shoot. Jack reaches out and catches her as she almost falls by the helm.

'What is this? If we don't shoot we're sitting ducks!'

'My friend is on that ship! That ship's looking for me!'

'My God.' Jack is silent for a split second. 'Run up a flag of truce and roll the guns back in!' he bellows. 'Bloody hurry up, we don't have all day!'

Phoenix gets to the port side of the ship, and calls Matthew's name until she thinks her lungs will burst.

'Faye! Faye are you alright?!' the answering call comes from the Dauntless. 'They're going to pull in closer, so you can come aboard. Are you safe?'

'Yes I'm safe. I'll come aboard as soon as I can.'

'You could probably swing across now if you want, the ships are close enough together.'

Jack is standing behind her, peering across at the Dauntless.

'Yes, I think we could make it.'

'We? That's a navy ship, they'll arrest you.'

'I doubt it.'

He is lost in the activity for a moment, and then returns dragging a rope in each hand. Phoenix looks up, trying to see where they're attached, but her gaze is lost in a tangle of rigging. Jack shoves a rope into her hand.

'Just stand on the side, hang on tight to the rope, and push off really really hard. Got it?'

'Got it,' she says, with more confidence than she feels.

She climbs onto the side, grips the rope until her knuckles turn white, and jumps. A brief moment's flight across the water, which is largely unappreciated by Phoenix since she has her eyes shut, then the terrifying letting go of the rope. She braces herself for the hard wood of the deck, eyes still tightly closed, but instead finds herself colliding with a welcoming embrace.

Phoenix unsticks her lids, and in the instant of reunion she doesn't realise that she is holding Matthew as tightly as if she never wanted to let go. She doesn't realise that he is returning her unyielding embrace with just as much affection, either. Their golden moment is spoiled when Jack lands with a loud thud on the deck beside them, and Matthew jumps back in horror at the sight of him. In a flash, a swarm of recoats surround Jack, swords drawn. Jack simply hauls himself to his feet, and puts up his hands wearily.

'Captain Sparrow. Again. I am arresting you on charges of kidnapping'-

Phoenix gapes at the speaker.

'Rear Admiral Norrington?'

'Miss Harper, I see our search is over when it had barely begun. I am relieved to find you safe, if you have been in the clutches of this vagabond.'

Phoenix still has a sword in her hand, and in a flash its point is tickling Norrington's throat. A second later, five soldiers have their bayonets ready to run Phoenix through. The tension is highlighted by Jack bursting unexpectedly into laughter.

'They made this idiot a Rear Admiral! Can you believe it?'

His deep throaty chuckle echoes around the ship. Phoenix's gaze doesn't shift, and her blade is still ready to split Norrington's windpipe.

'Miss Harper, kindly lower your weapon.'

'This vagabond,' she says levelly, 'is my father. I will not have him insulted by the like of you.'

She watches his eyes widen, and then flick between herself and Jack, before inexplicably alighting on Matthew.

'Men, you may allow Captain Sparrow a little space. Return to your duties.'

He waits until the men have scurried away before continuing to speak whilst studiously ignoring Jack's bow of mock gratitude

'I see this issue is more complicated than it appeared. I suggest you use my cabin to...discuss matters. Any attempt by you or your ship, Captain, to harm any of my crew will be answered with lethal force. In my mind you are still a criminal, but given the special nature of the circumstances I shall give you a certain license.'

'Thank you ever so much,' Jack answers, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

'My cabin is that way,' Norrington says, and turns on his heel to detail a couple of midshipmen to keep watch on the door.

Matthew takes Phoenix's hand.

'I think we really need to talk.'

*** Sorry about the bad ending place, but otherwise the chapter was going to be too long. 23 will be up soon, I promise! Anyway, the thank-yous. Anime-and- Toons, Terriah, sparrows sparrow, flying with da Sparrow and Burning Tyger for saying they should meet again. When bits of plot that people have suggested actually get written I will put credits at the end of those chapters, otherwise all you sneaky people will read the reviews to see what's going to happen, and we can't have that. Savvy?