[Gothic Angel of Death: Yes, I do get reviews like that and they hurt my feelings very much. I got some from one person for my Zorro story and it hurt me so bad that I stopped writing on the story.

Sorry about the delay. My computer caught a virus and was in the shop all week.]

The party was a few blocks from my house, so Jack and I had to walk for a while.

"It's chilly." I brought my other hand up to Jack's arm.

"I'd offer you my coat, but I'm not sure if you would accept it." Jack expected me to respond, but I kept on walking. I somehow felt guilty for being mean to Jack earlier.

We reached Elizabeth's house in no time and she greeted us at the door.

"Amanda! Jack! How nice of you to join us! I didn't think that you would make it!" She happily led us to the ballroom and her servant took our wraps. I gulped down a big ball of fear as I looked around the room.

Will walked up with a smile on his face. "Hello Jack, Amanda. I didn't think that I would see you here…together."

"Well, you know. Fate has its own way of working things out," Jack said with a wide smirk. Will took Elizabeth's arm and began to dance away from us.

"Excuse me, Jack." I wiggled my arm free and stomped off. Jack started to follow, but was stopped by a heavy woman who asked him to dance. Well, more like made him dance.

I got myself a glass to put some punch in, but a hand stopped me from taking the ladle.

"Amanda. We meet again." I looked up at the handsome but changed face of Norrington. He delicately took my fingers from the ladle and brought them to his lips. He devoured them in his mouth, sucking and kissing them. I pulled away.

"Norrington. How nice to see you again." He poured a glass of punch for me and handed it to me. I reached up with my left hand and he took it, swirling my wedding ring around.

"Still waiting for Jack, I see? You should forget about him." He started to slide my ring off but a tanned hand stopped him.

"That'll be kind of hard, mate, seeing how I'm right here." Jack smiled at Norrington's expression.

"What are you doing here?" Norrington got out with clenched teeth.

I stepped in front of Jack. "Jack is here at Elizabeth's invitation and he is with me. If you do anything to him, I will tell the Governor."

Norrington smiled. "Have a pleasant evening, Mr. Sparrow." He walked off looking like bloody murder. I sipped my punch and avoided looking at Jack.

A handsome young man walked up to us and took my punch glass, setting it on the table.

"Would you like to dance?" I opened my mouth to speak, but Jack put his arm around me.

"They lady is with me." To avoid further invitations, Jack took me out onto the dance floor and began to dance with me.

"Jack, I didn't know that you could dance. I suspect that you've had years of experience, considering how many women you've probably been with."

"Amanda, there's never been anyone else."

I pushed him away. "I don't believe you." I ran out to the balcony. Pulling a handkerchief out from my overskirt, I wiped my face that was wet from my tears.

"Amanda, please believe me. I want to come back to you." Jack stood behind me.

"I don't trust you, Jack."

"Why not, Amanda?"

I whirled around. "Why not? Because you broke my trust, Jack! I trusted you to live a clean life, away from the saloons but you broke my trust. You have to prove to me that I can trust you to be true and honest. Until then, I suggest that you stay away from the children."

"Amanda, you don't mean that!" A deafening boom came through the air and the ground shook. Jack looked at the ground and then back at me. "Earthquake," he whispered before he dove, taking me with him. He rolled us under a bench until he was on top and he pushed my head down until it rested under his neck. Enveloping me with his arms, he protected me from the flying chunks of building.

The earthquake lasted several minutes but Jack didn't get off of me until he was sure that it was over. He pulled me up by my arm into his embrace.

"I've never been so scared in all my life. Thank you, Jack." I kissed him on the cheek and snuggled closer to him. Then, it came to me. "The children!"

"Come on!" Jack took my arm and we raced out of the broken building. We went down the street in a fury past demolished buildings, wrecked buggies and more.

The destruction continued when we got to our street. Every building on the street was broken, cracked and had no roof. Injured people lay everywhere and most were close to dying.

"Jack." I touched his arm as I stared at my house. The roof had caved in and the walls were bent and broken. Peter and Sarah came around the corner, dirty, but alive. I ran to them. "My babies! You're alive!" I hugged them tightly thanking God that they were safe.

"Are you alright, children?" Jack asked.

"Yes we are, but Kimmi is hurt. She's in the house," Sarah said as she began to cry.

I ripped open the front door and searched the room. A heavy board from the roof was across the floor, cracking the stairs and there were tiles everywhere.

"Kimmi? Kimmi, where are you?" Whimpers came from under a mess of tile and boards. Jack helped me lift some of the debris and underneath was Kimmi. She had a big board on her leg that Jack promptly lifted so I could slide her out. She was barely breathing and badly injured. "My baby." I hugged her close and prayed for a miracle.