Disclaimer: Just keep rubbing it in. I still don't own them.
A/N: Well, I left you with a little cliffhanger last time, but I updated pretty quick so I hope that makes up for it! As ever, I am eternally grateful for all the suggestions and reviews.
Anamaria saw the gun in her hands begin to shake and slowly realized that her entire body was trembling. Blood was flowing from a tiny hole in the Spaniard's back. He was dead, and she had killed him. Killed him. She had taken a Spanish soldier's life to save the life of a pirate? No. To save the life of a man . . . a man who just happened to be a pirate.
Sarah's screams instantly brought Ana out of her thoughts.
"Sarah!" Ana saw her standing in the doorway with her hands covering her mouth, "stop that."
The maid was instantly silent. Dropping her hands to her sides, she stared at Ana through wide innocent eyes.
"Sarah, someone will have heard that. Soldiers will be here any minute now. I want you to go downstairs and wait for them."
"Yes, mum," she answered automatically.
"Now, Sarah, listen to me carefully, you must tell no one what happened here tonight. Tell the soldiers that you had no idea anything was amiss tonight until you heard the gunshot, okay? Then tell them that you rushed up to my bedroom and discovered the Spaniard. Understand?"
Sarah nodded, "what about you, mum?"
"You tell the soldiers that you haven't seen me since before I went to sleep. Say that you've no idea where I am and that you're very worried. Alright?"
"You want me to lie?"
"Yes."
"What if it's Prescott who comes?"
Ana swallowed, "even if it's Prescott."
Sarah nodded.
"Now, I'm counting on you," Ana said, "I will be in the study upstairs. Mr. Spa – Smith is injured."
"In the study upstairs?"
"Yes."
"The Captain's study?"
"Sarah, we both miss Christopher, but he gone and he isn't ever coming back. Right now I have to see to Mr. Smith. Are we clear?"
"Yes, mum."
Ana watched as her maid slowly descended the stairs. Sarah was scared, but she would do as she was told. She had to. She nodded as if to assure herself that Sarah would not fail, before returning to Sparrow.
The pirate was lying beneath the Spanish soldier. His eyes were closed, but he was not dead. He could not be dead.
Grimacing, Ana pulled the Spaniard's lifeless body off of Sparrow. Ana knelt beside the pirate and placed her dark hands on either side of Sparrow's face. He was so pale, and his skin felt like fire beneath her fingers.
"Jack," she said softly, "Jack, come on. You have to wake up."
The wound on Sparrow's shoulder was bleeding again. Ana could only imagine the havoc wreaked on the poor man's back. Was this pirate doomed to suffer? Wasn't it enough that the man had been tortured for who knows how long? It was not right that he would survive Cornado to die in her bedroom.
Before Ana could further contemplate the bad fortune that seemed to plague the pirate, she heard voices coming from downstairs. The voices were English.
"Damn," she said.
"Priest or not, cursing is still a sin, luv," Sparrow's chided weakly.
Ana could not help the smile that grabbed hold of her lips and spread over her face at the sound of the pirate's voice, "you're alright."
"That's debatable," Sparrow said.
His voice was soft and ragged. His eyes were tired, but he was alive.
Ana took hold of the pirate's good arm, "come on, we need to get you out of here."
Sparrow's kohl-lined eyes fell on the dead Spaniard lying next to him. He furrowed his brow. When his gaze returned to Ana's face, something in those dark eyes had changed. He nodded and allowed Ana to help him to his feet. Once up, Sparrow placed his arm around Ana's shoulders and the pair moved shakily but quickly to the bedroom door.
She heard Sarah downstairs telling the soldiers exactly what she had been instructed to say. Ana breathed a sigh of relief. This might turn out alright after all.
"Sarah, where's Annie?" she heard Prescott's voice demand.
Or it might not.
"I don't know, Captain Tarret."
"Where did the shot come from?"
"Your sister's bedroom, sir."
Ana felt the pirate's body stiffen. Her eyes danced nervously around the room, "the balcony," she said as they came to rest on a set of French doors.
She helped Sparrow across the room and the pair were safely hidden in the shadows on the small balcony just in time. The pirate sighed as he leaned on the stone wall next to the door. He rested his head against the wall, closed his eyes and gingerly rubbed his shoulder.
Peering through the glass, Ana saw Prescott enter the room and look over the body of the Spanish guard. A few second's later, James Norrington entered the room, followed by a pair of red-coated marines.
"Prescott, what's happened?" she heard James ask.
"I don't know."
"Where's Annie?"
"I don't know that either," her brother answered his voice raising slightly.
"The maid saw nothing?"
"No. She said she had no idea anything was wrong until she heard the shot."
Ana saw James' features darken somewhat, "could this be the work of that pirate the Spaniards are after?"
"It better not be," Prescott answered.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"What would you have us do, sir?" one of the marines asked.
"Find my sister."
"Your sister?" Ana heard a hauntingly familiar voice ask.
Prescott straightened, "Don Antonio."
Sparrow's eyes sprung open at the mention of that name. He moved to stand next to Ana, staring into the bedroom. His face was void of expression, and Ana could only imagine what he saw when he looked at the commandant. Her own mind was grappling with images of the torn skin on his back. Momentarily overcome by her emotions, Ana reached out and took hold the pirate's hand.
He flinched at her unexpected touch and his dark eyes searched her face. He still had not given any indication that he remembered her from la Cerradura. Understandably, he was puzzled by her gesture, but he made no move to resist her touch.
Ana let go of his hand and returned her gaze to the men in the bedroom. The pirate did the same.
Don Antonio Cornado had just entered, clad in a striking red coat lined with more gold brocade than was commonly thought to be proper. His graying hair fell loose around his shoulders and his matching gray eyes were just as filled with hate as when he had manhandled Anamaria a year ago.
"Did I hear you say that the pirate has done something to your sister?" the Spaniard asked.
"You did not," Prescott said, "with all due respect, sir. What are you doing here?"
"Two of my men spotted Sparrow. One came to me with the report and the other . . ." Cornado's voice trailed off as he stared down at the dead soldier that lay at their feet.
"Then, this was Sparrow's doing," Norrington said.
"Obviously," Cornado agreed.
Prescott cleared his throat, "well, Don Antonio, your concern is pirates. Mine is finding my sister."
James nodded. "I'll get some men on it," he said.
"I think, Capítan Tarret, that our search will lead us to the same destination," Cornado said when they were alone.
"Perhaps."
"Do not kid yourself," the Spaniard continued, "we both have seen that your sister does not understand what must be done to pirates."
Ana felt Sparrow's eyes on her as the commandant spoke, but she stare straight ahead as if the man had said nothing remarkable. She must tell Sparrow who she was, more specifically, who she was to him. She had boldly lied to the pirate in the past, but for some reason she wanted him to trust her, to know that she would not give him up to the likes of Don Antonio. She would never earn the trust of a pirate if she continued to lie to him.
Prescott did not dignify Cornado's comment with a reply. He simply ordered that someone take the body from Ana's house and that Sarah accompany him to the fort. Cornado lingered a moment in Ana's bedroom, but he too, left without discovering her and Sparrow.
Tentatively, Anamaria opened the glass door and re-entered her room. Her eyes became fixated on the pool of blood that was all that remained of a man that she had killed. A man that had rushed into her house and had thought he was helping her. She had taken the life of a soldier who was only doing his duty.
In the midst of her thoughts, she felt Sparrow's rough hand on her shoulder. Inexplicably, his touch sent a shiver down her spine. "No one's ever done something like that for me before," he said softly.
Ana turned and slipped her arm beneath his, "they think you've stolen me. No one will be back here tonight. Let me help you to bed."
Sparrow took the support she offered. He leaned heavily on her as they walked the short distance to her bed. His eyes were bright with fever and as he seemed to have difficulty focusing.
He shook his head, "this is your bed."
"I doubt that I could sleep tonight anyway," she said as she helped him to lay down. "I'll fetch some of that atrocious drink you seem to like so much so I can redress your wound."
The pirate nodded weakly.
"Oh, and Captain?"
Sparrow turned his head and wearily met her glance.
"Your welcome."
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