Disclaimer: Still only borrowing Jack, Ana and Norrington. I'll give them back . . . eventually.

A/N: Thank you so so so much for all of your kind words. It's your reviews that keep me writing! So, keep them coming.

Chapter 21:

Anamaria hobbled into the cave. Her stomach was throbbing and she could tell that Jack's injuries were taking their toll on the pirate. Prescott had mentioned a cave three miles from the cabin, but Ana felt like she had circled Jamaica ten times. Jack had questioned her sanity when she suggested that they head for this particular cave, saying that her brother obviously knew of its location. She had reasoned, however, that Prescott let the cave drop into conversation on purpose. She said that her brother had meant for her to pick up on his hint and to go to this cave. Sparrow had either agreed with her or was too tired to argue. Either way, he was here with her, and they were safe for the moment. The sun was just starting to peek out from the horizon. They could not be seen in the streets in bright daylight. Everyone in town would fall all over themselves to be the on to turn them in. So, it was this cave or back to prison.

"Why did you take me with you?" Ana asked as she sat leaning her back against the cool cave wall.

The pirate sank down next to her. "Why did you come with me?" he countered her question with a question. One that caught her completely unprepared.

Why had she gone with him? When Prescott had told Sparrow to leave the cabin, Ana suspected that her brother had meant for her to stay behind. In the moment, Ana had gone simply because the pirate's hand had been on her arm. She had a hard time admitting that fact to herself to say nothing of how difficult it would be to admit to Jack that his touch could make her briefly take leave of her senses.

"After all the trouble I've gone through for you," Ana started, "maybe I wanted to make sure you didn't go and get yourself caught again." Ana knew she was not being completely honest with Jack. But Jack was a pirate, and as soon as he could come up with a decent plan, he would disappear into the endless waters of the Caribbean. The sea would reclaim him, and she would never see him again. So, why bother letting him know how he was affecting her. It would only make it harder for her to watch him sail away.

"I'll bet my brother didn't realize what he was in for when he told you to hit him," Ana mused.

"Had to make it look good, luv. Just following orders." Jack said resting his arms on his knees and interlacing his fingers.

"Oh, sure. I'll bet you never took orders from anyone your whole life."

Sparrow laughed under his breath.

"Hmm," Ana went on. "He laughs. That means I'm wrong, doesn't it? Well, then, enlighten me."

"What do you want to know?" Jack had removed the ring he was wearing and it seemed to dance back and forth between his ever moving fingers. He was fidgeting. Ana knew from previous experience that he did not like to answer direct questions. He did not seem to like to talk about himself at all. What Ana did not know was why. What had happened to Jack to make him believe he needed to keep himself hidden.

"Alright," she said, finally. "What were you like before you were Captain Jack Sparrow?"

"Shorter."

Ana smiled, sadly. It was almost as though Jack couldn't bring himself to answer her questions. Ana slid closer so that their bodies were almost touching. She desperately wanted to know what had happened to the pirate to make him so distrustful. She also desperately wanted to ignore the tingling in her spine due to her proximity to Jack. For the life of her, Ana could not understand what about this pirate was different from any other man she had ever known. Why did she even care why he could not trust people? What did it matter?

"Why did you pray for me?" Jack's voice broke into her reverie.

Ana turned to face the pirate. He was not looking at her. He was staring straight ahead and had probably been lost in his own thoughts. Almost all of the kohl was gone from his eyes making him appear younger than Ana originally thought he was. Younger, and less jaded.

"I prayed for you because you couldn't pray for yourself," she answered, "and because I was scared."

"Of what?"

"Of what Cornado was doing to you."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why care what he did to me?"

Jack's words cut Ana through to her very soul. All the bravado and the thick pirate accent was missing from his voice, as though it had all been an act. Now, he sounded so sad. That monster had set a his arm on fire, and Jack could not understand why she would have felt compassion for him. What did he expect her to do? Just look the other way.

"I could ask you the same question," Ana said. "When Cornado was yelling at me, you intervened. You had to know that he would be furious. So, why'd you do it?"

For the first time, Jack looked at Ana. The mask he usually wore over his expressive eyes was coming off. He looked almost hurt by her question. "I couldn't watch him hurt a woman," he said as though it were the most obvious answer in the world.

Ana placed her hand on his arm. She could feel the ugly scar beneath his shirtsleeve. "And I couldn't stand by and watch him hurt you."

The mask fell from Jack's eyes. Ana could see his sadness and his hurt. She could see that he did not understand her kindness. She could see that her simple prayer helped him through prison because no one had ever bothered to pray for him before. And then, somehow, Jack found the mask and recovered his emotions. Pulling his arm free from her hand, he stood up and walked to the mouth of the cave. Ana rose to her feet and followed. She had never seen so much pain inside of one person. She stood beside Jack as he leaned against the stony cave entrance and stared blankly at the rising sun.

"You shouldn't have done that," he said flatly.

"Done what?"

"Prayed for me."

"Why not."

Jack faced her, his expression hardened. "Because only the devil cares for a pirate."

"For most pirates, I'd tend to agree. But you're not most pirates, Jack."

"What makes you so sure, darling?" he snarled.

The dreaded Captain Sparrow had returned to his voice and he was speaking to her as he had the night he stood in her garden and tried to scare her into giving him money. But this time, she saw through his act. He was not the man that the townspeople feared. He was not a cold, unfeeling pirate who's only care was for plundering and pillaging helpless island villages. He was not the slightly insane drunken womanizer. He could be that person, when he wanted to be, but she had seen behind his façade.

"I'm sure because I've seen it. You may try to hide it from everyone, but you can't. You stood up to Cornado when he was going to kill his son. You stood up to him when he was threatening me. Why would a pirate do that, Jack?"

"A pirate will do anything to get what he wants, luv," he sneered letting his eyes trail up and down Ana's body.

Jack was trying to frighten her, and it was working, at first. But, Ana was beginning to see what he was doing. He was the one who was scared. He had let her get too close.

"Stop it," she said with all of the force she could muster. "If you are determined to avoid my question, then I'll answer it for you. I'll tell you why a pirate would do all of those things. You did them because you aren't the evil pirate from the children's stories."

"Am I not?"

"No. Jack Sparrow, as much as you try to hide it, you're a good man."

The pirate's leering smile was starting to fade.

"I know you're a good man, because I wouldn't have wasted my time on a typical pirate. I would've turned you over to that first Spanish soldier that came to my house."

"Why didn't you?"

"Sí, Señora," Ana spun around and saw Don Antonio coming around the side of the cave, his sword drawn. "Why didn't you?"

I know, another annoying cliffhanger. What can I say? I like a bit of suspense. Don't forget to review.