I was woken the next morning by someone nudging my side with their foot. "Hmm…damn monkey, go away!" I muttered, still half asleep.

"I ain't no monkey Sparrow." Someone snapped.

I opened my eyes to see Ana above me. "Ana?"

"No, It's Gibbs!" She said some what sarcastically. "Yes it's me ye daft pirate! Get up, we have work to do."

"Work?" I asked, rubbing my eyes as I sat up. My head pulsed. Ugh, damn headache. I thought.

"Aye Captain, yer ship needs tending to." She pulled me up, then began walking off, I followed at a much slower pace.

We spent the next few hours fixing and cleaning the ship. Ana barley spoke a word to me the entire time. If she did speak, it was "Aye Captain," Or "Yes sir Captain."

Soon we where done, the only the thing left was to mend the ripped sails. I watched as Ana began to lower the sails towards the deck. Then, the next thing I knew, she yanked on the rope, causing the sails to fall to the deck.

"ANA!" I yelled, shocked at her behavior. I was answered by her tackling me, pushing me to the deck floor. With her hand still on my back, keeping me close to the deck, I hissed. "What the hell was that!?"

She gave me a look to be quiet. "The Dauntless."

"What?" I asked confused.

"The Dauntless," She hissed and sure enough, I looked up to see a ship with red flags sail by ours, making its way to the other side of the dock. Red flags, red navy flags. Norrington's flags.

My beads clinked against each other as Ana and I slowly raised our selves from the deck. I couldn't help but notice how her hand still rested on my back. She then looked to me, questions in her eyes. What do we do? They seemed to say.

"Run and fetch Gibbs and the crew. Tell them to meet us at the cove around the corner." She nodded and started to walk off. "Ana," I called after her and she turned around to look at me. "Be careful." She nodded again and took off running down the dock.

Now alone, I looked around. I needed to get the ship out of the harbor, but how to do that with out the sails? Not only did I need to put them back up, but if anyone saw them, we could be identified. The Pearl was identified more by her sails, than by her name or what she looked like.

I had to take the chance. Quickly I re-raised the sails. Perfect timing too, for I heard footsteps coming down the dock, I turned to see Ana running at me. She made it to the boat and joined me at the helm and I steered the Pearl away from the dock.

Soon we pulled up to the cove where the crew was waiting for us. I quickly counted heads as Gibbs approached Ana and I. "Think they saw ye Captain?" He asked.

"I don't know," I said. "And I don't care to find out." I then turned the wheel, sailing us away from Tortuga.

Ana and I still weren't on speaking terms, even though for those few minutes of escape we had put those thoughts beside us. But right now, she stood to the side of the helm, glaring at me. I still felt tired from last night, plus I now had a massive headache. Rubbing my eyes, I muttered to Gibbs for him to come get me in an hour or two. He nodded and I headed to my cabin for some rest.

When I awoke, it was nighttime. Enraged, I came out of the cabin yelling. "Why didn't ye dogs wake me up!" I hollered, to the crew, no one in particular, considering Gibbs was no where to be found, hiding most likely from me.

"They're pirates, it's not like they carry around watches." Ana muttered as she passed by me, making her way to the quarter area. A minute or so later she returned and I snapped my head around to look at her, almost colliding into her chest. I took a step back some what dazed. "Well," I sputtered as she glared at me, hands on her hips. Finally I found my words. "What do you want?" I snapped, in my most Captain like voice. I then glanced down at her chest. No! Don't think about that now! I told my self, shaking my head.

"I thought you'd like to know Captain, there's now rum in your cabin." She hissed then stomped away, muttering to her self.

Gibbs came up to me, finally deciding to re-appear. "What's wrong with the lass?" He asked.

"Not your place Gibbs." I said gruffly.

"Aye sir."

"I'll be in me cabin." I said, and left to return to my room once more. On the way down the hall, I ran into Ana. The ship made a slight sway, pushing me on top of her, as we both fell against the wall.

She shoved me off of her, muttering "Daft Pirate," As she reached her door.

"Shut up!" I shouted.

"Screw you!" She yelled back and we slammed our doors at the same time.

I had no intention of going back up on deck, for fear of Ana being there. Yes, she was a woman, but she's one of the few women who scare me. She tougher than nails, and has a glare that if it could kill, I would have been dead a long time ago.

So, I sat at my desk, drinking rum and going over maps and updating the Captain's log for the next few hours. Once I finished, I propped my feet up on the deck, drinking another bottle of rum. I soon had a thought; I needed to fix things with her. I knew it would just make the atmosphere on the ship worse and might even make some of the crew think neither Ana nor I were fit for the titles we held, if we kept fighting.

Once the rum bottle was empty, I stood up swaying with the ship and made my way to Ana's cabin. I knocked on the door and was greeted with a "PISS OFF!" That's my girl. I thought to my self, as I braced my self against the wall.

"Open the door Ana. That's an order!" I called. Soon I heard the lock slide away from the door and the door itself was opened a crack. I slid through the door's opening, closing it behind me.

I stood watching Ana move about her cabin. Her boots laid on the ground by her bed, having been kicked off earlier. Her hat laid on the table. She ignored me as she slipped her earrings out of her ears and tied her hair back in a braid. Once she was done, she turned to me.

"What do you want Captain?" She asked.

I felt my shoulders slack as I began to speak. "Ana, I still don't know what I did, but what ever it was, I'm sorry."

She studied me. "Do you trust me Jack?" She whispered.

"What?" I asked shocked and she motioned for me to sit. I did, while she stayed standing.

"Tell me honestly Jack, do you trust me?"

"Yes, Ana, I do. You've never given me a reason not to. You befriended me; you stood by me on the Interceptor. You came back for me on the Pearl. And I'm confident in saying, you'd stand by me in any battle."

She nodded and sat down across from me. "Am I wanted on this ship Jack?" She asked quietly.

I looked at her surprised. "Of course ye are Ana," I said. "Where did all of this come from?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know, I started thinking last night, what if they don't want me on this ship? This is the longest I've ever been on a ship that knew I was a woman, Jack. I need…I need to know I feel wanted."

I looked up at her from where my gaze had slipped to the floor. What I saw in her eyes shocked me. Want, need, uncertainty. For the first time in over ten years, sense I had met her, Ana was letting the barriers down. I could tell. She was letting the wall slip and let me see through that rough exterior.

I felt somewhat privileged, but at the same time, scarred. The first and last time this had happened was shortly after I met her.

She looked away from me now, trying to re-build her now fallen wall. Suddenly I felt a pain from deep within my heart. I looked at Ana. I wanted to hug her, tell her she was wanted on my ship. I wanted to hold her tight and kiss her. I then realized something. It had taken me nearly ten years to figure this out.

I loved Ana.

I loved Anamaria. Now the only thing to figure out, was how and when to make my move.

I stood and for a moment she seemed distressed by the fact I was leaving. "I'll be right back luv." I said and exited the room.

I made my way down to the galley. Luckily our cook had a fresh pot of coffee made. Taking two cups and filling them, I headed back to her cabin. Gibbs stopped me at the door.

"Captain, I've been lookin for ya, say, what are you doin?" He asked, seeing the two cups full of coffee.

"It's not your place Gibbs." I said and he nodded but still looked from the cups of coffee to the door. I sighed. "Captain, first mate buiseness Gibbs." I said and then brushed past him, shutting the door in his face.

Ana was now sitting in the chair I had been in before I left, with a blanket from her bed around her shoulders. She was slumped against the table, eyes closed. She seemed much calmer now, much like the Ana I had known for those ten years. She's pulled the wall back up. I thought as I walked over to the table. I set the cups down, then stood behind her, wrapping my arms around her. "You ok?" I asked her and she nodded. I then kissed the spot behind her ear.

She wasn't responding to the contact, which was in a way good. But also somewhat frightening. I placed my forehead on her shoulder and felt her lean her own head back onto my shoulder.

Soon I sat down across from her. After she had taken a drink of the coffee, she spoke. "Jack, you're so good to me."

I smiled. "It's my job luv, you're my first mate. I have to return the favor." She shook her head and I shot her a questioning look.

"I mean, you've never looked down on me because of who I am." At my confused look she continued. "A mixed, female pirate. I wasn't that old when we met Jack, but you still tried to see though my exterior and learn who I was." She stopped, looking at me with fondness in her eyes. "Thank ye."

I gave her a small lopsided smile. "You're welcome luv, you're welcome."

J.L. Dexter: Yes, Ana defiantly is a force to be reckoned with.

Jackfan2: Thanks for the reviews, yea, I make sure people write if I take their words to heart. Hope you get Shelter in the Storm going soon, I'll keep waiting.

Captain Sparrow: Thanks! :-)

Darienetta Stroke: Thanks so much!!