Thank you to Clueless-Patty and girlgunslinger for your lovely reviews. I'm so excited about finally getting this story done. It's been in my memory for far too long, and it's about time I introduced it to the outside world.

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own anything. But if Disney wants to give me Jack Sparrow, it's A-OK with me!        

Chapter 4: Invitation not sent.

When she awoke, Anouk was lying in bed in what appeared to be a dimly lit room. She sat up and winced as her head began aching, but determined to find out where she was she left the bed and made her way to a large window. Her first thoughts were of panic as she wondered where that pirate had gone. What was his name? Some type of…bird or something?

"If he's kidnapped me, I don't know what on earth I'm going to do!" Anouk stressed, wringing her hands and leaning out the window. All she could see was blackness. And beyond that, the lights of the town were glittering happily in the dark.  Peace flooded over her weary body and she felt weak at the knees and gripped the window ledge harder to stay upright.

"I want to go home," she whispered to the night, "I want to go home, I want to go home, I wan…"

She trailed off as she heard footsteps behind her and spun around as a young lady came bustling into the room, her long elegant dress making 'swish-swish' noises as she walked. The lady had long wavy brown hair, a slim figure and looked to be under quite a lot strain.

On seeing Anouk out of bed she gasped and 'swished' over towards her.

"What do you think you're doing? You're in no state to be up and about."

Anouk stared at her. Open mouthed. This lady was caring for her? A noblewoman of some sort, looking after a filthy commoner? What was happening?

The woman seemed to have guessed what she was thinking as she smiled warmly and patted her on the arm.

"I'm no noblewoman or anything like that. It so happens that I'm Governor Swann's daughter, Elizabeth Turner." She held out her delicate, pale hand.

Anouk hesitated and the placed her dirty hand in Elizabeth's.

"Anouk," she said simply, blushing. She had never known her mother and went through most of her life without her father's presence, so she never learnt her surname.

Elizabeth again appeared to know what was going through Anouk's mind and merely beamed at her reassuringly and embraced her.

Anouk was startled. She was hugging her; Mrs Turner was hugging her even though she was a grimy stranger. She awkwardly hugged her back, trying not to soil her clean clothes. Elizabeth was saying something but Anouk was lost in her thoughts. Where was that pirate? Was he dangerous? Maybe this lady and her husband rescued me from him. Yes, that's it, they rescued me. I'll never have to see that man again.

She snapped out of her reverie and noticed Elizabeth was looking at her questionably.

"Uhh, sorry what was that?"

"I asked if you wanted to meet the man who saved you. He's downstairs with my husband."

* * *

Will Turner was trying desperately to keep Jack from bounding up the stairs to check on young Anouk. I mean he could see why Jack was worried. She had been sleeping for 3 hours now and didn't seem to want to wake up any time soon. His young wife had just gone up to make sure Anouk was alright and he had been left to handle Jack and his incessant ramblings about "…don' believe they don' keep any rum in th' house." and a wedding invitation not sent.

"For the last time Jack, we're sorry!" poor Will didn't know what to say. After much deliberation, they had made a painful decision not to invite Jack because secretly, they believed that he would cause a ruckus with the Commodore and ruin the wedding. Of course Will and Elizabeth didn't have the heart to tell him. He was after all, one of their dearest friends and he most certainly did deserve to see them married, but…oh there was always a 'but'.

Will watched as Jack traipsed around the room muttering under his breath and then finally collapse in an unruly heap in Elizabeth's favourite armchair. His hat was thrown carelessly in one corner of the room and his coat, strewn over the couch. 

"I jus' can' believe u didn't bother to even see if I wanted to come!" Jack fumed.

Will sighed dejectedly; he was never going to reason with Jack while he was like this. He might as well try to talk some normality with a tipsy lion that's just had its tail cut off.

"Spose you didn' fancy meself as a fancy-to-do sorta person, but am I not yeh friend?" Jack looked hurt and Will felt terrible.

"I'm so sorry Jack, you see Elizabeth and I…well, we weren't sure whether you would want to come AND", he continued quickly as Jack opened his mouth to protest, "we didn't want another episode like last time you were in Port Royal."

Will watched Jack's expression closely as this information sunk in. his friends eyes grew fiery for a moment or two and then it seemed as if someone had doused them in cold water and the flames were vanquished. And then Jack was his old self again.

"Well mate, yeh did what you thought was best. Can ask yeh no more'n that," he chuckled and then became serious again, "Yeh know I never woulda' done nothing to upset yer weddin', Will. Yeh know that right?"

Will smiled. "Of course, Captain. Of course."

* * *

Jack still wasn't happy. His friends didn't think he was worthy enough to come to a wedding, that girl probably thought he was a no good dirty pirate, well at least she had recognized him, and his arse hurt from Elizabeth's 'supposedly' favourite armchair. He moved in it, trying to dull the ache and numb the pain but to no reward.

And Will was still staring at him strangely.

"What in the blue 'ell are yeh lookin' at, boy?" Jack lazily lifted his head and glared at Will.

It was a while before the young Turner answered and when he did, it was not what Jack expected.

"You've changed, Jack." He said simply.

"Aye, and that's Captain to yeh, mate, Captain Jack," he grinned mischievously, "and how so?"

Will shifted from foot to foot and rubbed the back of his neck. "No, I mean you're different in some way, I can't tell but it's been bothering me since you came back," he walked over to a chair and plopped onto it, "but I think it's for the better though, I mean you're doing things that you wouldn't normally do."

"Like what?" growled Jack.

"Rescuing a girl is one thing but then sticking around to make sure she's alright and bringing her back to our home, well," he paused, "if I knew anything I'd say you were becoming a bit soft." Will smirked.

In a flash Jack was up and behind Will's chair, a blade at his neck. The young blacksmith was startled and tried to move but the blade pressed heavily against his throat.

"It's a good thing yeh don' know anything then isn't it?" hissed Jack in Will's ear, "because yeh should know this by now mate, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, I don' take any bloody nonsense from no one and I may be yeh friend…but I can still slit yeh throat and not have no second thoughts about it, savvy?" the cold steel was still pressed against Will's neck and there was no attempt to move it.

"Oh, an' don' ever let me hear yeh call me soft, yeh understand?"

Will nodded dumbly.

"Good."

Suddenly the door behind them opened and without thinking Jack spun around and hurled the knife.

* * *

Ooh! Suspense! Who walked through the door? What's wrong with Jack? Haha, this is fun.

So, *looks at little purple button meaningfully*