Disclaimer: See Chapter 1, why waste good space rewriting the darn thing? :-P

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"You're on my ship without permission lass;" Jack spoke evenly, in a neutral tone. "A lesser man would have cast you off 'rather than save ye from freezin'' to death," he added, shifting his feet off from their bedside perch and leaning closer toward the girl. He stopped his motion however as the girl scurried her entire body up to the opposite head board before his body had even come out of the chair.

"It's all right lass;" he soothed, never taking his gaze away from hers. He was surprised by the drastic change that her expression had undergone. The peaceful calm that had shown itself during her slumber had been replaced with a cautious alert surprise when she had discovered him at her bedside. But, even that image had completely disappeared when he had moved to stand. Now, an expression of abject terror lay plastered on her rapidly paling countenance. There was a haunted quality to it as well, and Jack guessed that a part of her mind was in a place he couldn't possibly begin to imagine.

"It's ok. I'm not going to hurt you." Jack waited long moments, as she seemed to consider his words. Slowly, her features began to relax her breathing slowed. "Do you understand me?" Jack asked, edging himself into a sitting position at the corner of the bed where his feet had previously been resting. Gazing at him so intently that Jack began to wonder if she was able to see his very soul; the girl slowly nodded her head several times.

"Cap'n," a soft knock sounded on the cabin door before Mr. Gibbs moved quickly into the room. "Repairs ''ave been finished on the Pearl; we're just waitin''..." he trailed off and stopped dead still in the center of the room as he caught sight of Jack's outstretched hand signaling him to stay back. The girl, he saw, had sprung up from the bed and was now cowering behind one of the sturdy chairs at the table by the window. Her fingers were wrapped around the back of the chair so tightly that her knuckles were rapidly blanching.

Slowly, Jack rose and spoke to the girl. "Lass," he soothed, his voice turning soft and non-threatening, "It's ok. This is me first mate, Mr. Gibbs. He won't be meaning you any harm, I promise ye." Slowly, he began to inch his way closer to the girl. "I promise you," he repeated as he stood before her, capturing her gaze again; blocking her view of Gibbs. "Do ye understand?" He pressed the question on her again, never wavering in his gentle tone. "Lass..." Cursing softly to himself, Jack moved quickly to catch the young woman as her face lost all of it's color and she fainted dead away.

Cradling her petite body once again in his arms, Jack laid her gently down on his bed again and carefully drew up one of the blankets to her chin. Turning to Mr. Gibbs, he met the man's questioning gaze. " Can you take a watch here Gibbs while I get us underway?"

"Aye sir," Gibbs replied, "and what am I to do if she wakes up again?"

"Try to win her trust, but don't let her up from that bed. I'll have the cook send up a bit of something of sustenance for the both of you." Jack continued as he walked to the door of his cabin. "Oh, and Gibbs," he added as he closed the door behind him, "Try and find out her name if ye can."

With a sigh, Gibbs crossed to the chair Jack had previously occupied at the foot of the bed. This voyage, he could tell, was going to be one hell of an experience. He couldn't quite bring himself to think of the lass as bad luck just yet however. The images from the night before still haunted his subconscious, drowning out his superstitious nature for the time being at least.

Jack had managed to return to his cabin shortly after the noon meal. Gibbs had informed him that the lass had woken briefly and had eaten a bit of food, but had not spoken a word to him. Jack had taken a good look at his first mate and upon finding deep circles around the man's eyes, promptly ordered him to follow in the steps of their guest and get a decent rest. He left Anamaria in charge on deck and had put off eating his share of the evening meal that had been delivered nearly an hour ago. The lass was still sound asleep and he had hoped she would wake on her own to the smell of the food.

Crossing to the head of the bed, he knelt down alongside his slumbering guest and placed his hand very gently on the frail looking woman's shoulder. "Lass," he breathed the word out gently, "wake up love, ye've got the get some food into you."

"It's all right;" he soothed, removing his hand as she started violently, her eyes flying open. "Didn't mean to startle ya love, but I couldn't let ye go the night without some nourishment." He stood up and stepped back slightly as she moved herself into a sitting position. Extending his hand to her, Jack continued, "would you care to join me at the table love?"