Sorry for the long wait, I had a bit of a cockroach problem in my room. Anyways, I hope that this is another chappy that everyone will like. It might seem a bit choppy but please hang in there. Thanks to my reviewers, so far!

Before I start, let me remind you I don't own any of the characters, settings, and so on in Pirates of the Caribbean, except for the ones I make up...sooner or later. I am not getting paid for this either, it is pure pleasure.

Enjoy

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Taking Your Chances

Telling and Kicking

As the harbor of Port Royal came into view, only a few minutes off, Captain Zachary turned to his men and ordered them to bring the two captives out.

When the grungy pirates came to get Anamaria out of her cell, she put up quite a fight. She didn't want to be directed like a blind man, so they reasoned with her (for the sake of all their teeth) and let her walk without assistance, though a pistol was pointed at the back of her head.

Jack also didn't want to be lead around by the foul-smelling men, but he could barely stand without stumbling around, and the men decided to take it upon themselves to be... so kind and help him out.

So as they moved from the dark brig to the fading daylight, Anamaria walked haughtily in front, and Jack limped behind, groaning as the men gripped him, feeling like they were tearing his limbs apart.

"Tie 'em up." Zachary nodded to the main mast of the Betrayal.

Once Jack and Anamaria were tied their backs to the main mast, arms stretched behind them and each of their wrist tied to the others. Zachary smirked at the two helpless pirates encircling the mast, both struggling against their bindings.

"Yah won't get out of that, so yah might as well stop your struggling." He said as he came to a stop in front of Jack. He saw the wench twisting her neck to try and see behind her, but the mast blocked her view. Zachary's smirk grew even wider, "Alright Sparrow," his attention snapped back to the other bond prisoner, "I'll tell yah what I want yah to do. So yah better damn well listen cause I ain't repeatin' it. Yah hear me Sparrow?"

Jack just looked at him, he'd decided earlier that keeping his mouth shut was the best way to really get Captain Zachary flustered.

"Don't just stare. Answer me, yah bloody rat!" Zachary raised his fist up and brought it down sharply across the pirate's face.

Jack's lower lip burst open and drained the color out of them. Still, he refused to say a word, hoping the Captain would make a mistake he could take advantage of.

Zachary's eyes narrowed into slits at Jack's silence. Again he raised his arm to strike him across the face, in the same spot, but the wench interrupted him.

"Bloody coward." Anamaria said over her shoulder. She hadn't been able to see what happened, but she could guess from the loud whack, Jack must have been punched. "Hittin' a man, tha's tied up and can't even defend 'is self." She shook her head back and forth, disappointed, "Coward."

Zachary hissed and made a semi-circle to the other side of the large mast where she was tied. "Watch your tongue, wench. Or I might 'ave to cut it out."

"I'm only speakin' the truth." Anamaria shot back.

Zachary's patience ran out with her and he slapped Anamaria, hard, across the cheek. She felt her head snap to the side before she instantly brought it back around to the glare at him. Zachary didn't wait for her to open her mouth this time; he just brought his palm across her face again... and again.

"Stop!" Jack yelled from behind her.

"Ah, so 'e finally speaks. Only took a bit of bitch slapping to get your mouth movin' again...hmm, Sparrow?" Zachary finished the rest of his circle to end up in front of Jack once more.

Jack growled, "Tell me what it is yah want me tah do in Port Royal."

"Oh yes that's right... as yah can see, no doubt, the harbor is right up ahead. All yah got to do is bring back the Turner's." Zachary said easily.

"'Ow do yah expect me to do that? I got a bullet in me leg and I'm not exactly welcome 'ere." Jack snarled.

"That just makes it more fun. Yah have until sunset to bring 'em back before I skin the wench, savvy?"

"I can't just walk into their home bleedin' all over the place and ask 'em to come aboard wit some crazy captain!" Jack argued back.

Zachary leaned towards Jack and yanked his braided chin bringing his ear close to his mouth. He whispered, so that no one else heard, "Sparrow, word of advice, don't e'er call me crazy, yah hear?" His voice was menacing for such a soft tone. He released Jack, and in a normal voice he said, "Be creative, make up a story. But remember yah only have until sunset."

Jack looked out into the distant sky, the sun was starting to descend behind the horizon line already. "The suns already settin', I've got tah do all this in only but an hour?" Jack asked persistently.

"I suggest you better hurry, no?" Zachary said, leaning in to untie one of Jack's bound hands as he motioned to one of his crewmates to do the same to the other. When Jack had the feeling in his wrist again, he took a shaky step away from the mast towards Captain Zachary.

"There's a boat o'er there for yah to get tah the harbor on." He nodded his head in the direction to Jack's right.

Jack stomped, or tried his best to, over to the lowered boat. When he had mastered getting into it, a difficult task for a man with a bullet hole in the side of his leg, some of the crew of the Betrayal lowered the tiny boat. It was almost like he was reliving the first time he'd sailed into Port Royal on Anamaria's stolen boat. Except this time he was sailing into Port Royal to save Anamaria's life. 'Funny', he thought.

His arms ached badly, from the long row, by the time he reached the harbor, and it didn't help that everyone was staring rather awkwardly at him. 'What had they never seen a bloodied up pirate before?' Jack asked inwardly.

As he clambered out of the boat, Jack turned back to face where he'd departed without Anamaria. Two men, one on each of her arms, were holding her back, and Captain Zachary was tracing his finger around her face. Jack watched with a sneer until his finger outlined her lips and she opened her mouth dangerously high and bit down as fast as her clamping teeth could go. Everyone in the Port Royal harbor turned to look at where the loud yelp had been produced.

Figuring Anamaria could handle her self, even with a crew of mad pirates, Jack started out on his trek to the last place he remembered Elizabeth's house being, the governor's mansion.

'Even if they have moved', Jack thought, 'I'll just trick the bloody governor into telling me where they are now'.

As he approached the looming house, Jack turned over the hundreds of stories he knew, in his head. Picking out one he knew the Turner's would believe, he bashed the side of his closed fist against the hard wooden door. Taking a deep breath and looking as pitiful and hurt as he could be, he put on a sad scowl.

A young maid opened the door, with much difficulty. She smoothed her skirt before taking a look at the guest. She tried to stifle her gasp at the bloodied scallywag standing in the doorway to the Turner's home.

"C...c...can I help you, umm... sir? She stuttered.

"Ah, yeah. I'm lookin' for William Turner and his bonny lass." Jack glanced at the frightened girl's face turn into confusion, "Elizabeth Swann." Jack said correcting himself.

"They are not seeing guest at the moment, but I shall tell them that you stopped by." And without even asking for his name, she closed the door tightly on his face.

Jack sighed, he'd guessed that it would happen like this, but their was always a flashing sense of hope in the back of his mind that someday he wouldn't get the door closed on his face. "Oh well, 'ere we go." Jack muttered to himself.

The maid had barely stepped into the next room, when the front door swung open wide and the man from outside stepped in. She screamed fearing for her life, even though he hadn't pulled a pistol, yet.

"Look miss, 'scuse me for barging in, but I need to talk to the Turn...ers" He trailed off as Will came swinging around the bend of the upstairs corner.

"Andrea? What is going on? Why did you scream, you woke Lucy!" He didn't see Jack, but was pointedly fixed on the cowering maid in entrance to the parlor. "Is everything alright? What's the problem?" Will asked worriedly at Andrea's cautioned face.

"I believe tha' be me, whelp."

Will turned towards the voice and found himself staring straight at the man who'd helped rescue his wife not but a year ago. "Jack?"

"Aye whelp."

Not sure how to react to the pirate, Will examined Jack, not liking what he saw. Jack was covered in blood, he had a deep bruise on his cheek, and he swayed back and forth as he stood by the bottom of the stairs.

"What... whose blood is that?" William asked as he made his way down the stairs to assist him.

"I's mine. Comin' from this bloody leg!" Jack motioned, with great exaggeration, to it.

Will caught him as he leaned to one side. "Elizabeth!" He called, half dragging Jack into the parlor. Gently helping the pirate captain onto the couch, they heard the sound of small feet clattering around above them.

"What happened Jack?" Will questioned.

"Might as well wait till the lass comes, whelp. No need explainin' twice." Jack answered him as he shifted uncomfortably on the couch.

Only a few moments later, Elizabeth came running through the parlor doors with a bundle in her arms. "What's going on here Wi...?" She didn't finish at the sight of Jack Sparrow's blood spreading over her new couch. Trying to ignore it, she handed Will little Rebecca and went to check out Jack.

"Stop lass." Jack stopped her hands from inspecting his leg.

"Captain Sparrow, I don't know how you did this, but it's serious and needs to be looked at. And I figured you'd rather have me than a doctor. Right?" Elizabeth remembered to use his captain title.

"No, yah can look at it later. I need yah help." Jack glanced out their window to see how much time he had left. The sun was a little more than halfway under the horizon now. Jack turned back quickly rushing his story together. "Look, me crew and I were sailin' a week ago, when we were caught in a huge storm. So, naturally I'm out steering the Pearl through the rain, when a wave, bigger than you can believe, swiped me feet out from under me. The next thing I knew, I was out in the middle of the Caribbean, all by me onesies."

"Where was the Pearl?" Will interrupted.

"Don't know whelp." Jack answered shortly. "I waited, clinging to a piece of driftwood until a ship came into view. So I called for help... well, I mean I just called to them, and they came and picked me up. The captain was friendly enough and offered me a spot on the crew, till we got tah Port Royal. And now 'ere I am."

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Anamaria hugged herself, inspecting the damp room. After Jack had left to return with the Turners, Captain Zachary had his men bring her down to his quarters.

The door opened and Anamaria turned like a flash to see the Captain of the Betrayal standing there in all his glories. Zachary slammed the door behind him and put on a rugged smile for her.

Anamaria felt like she was going to be sick, and hugged her stomach even more, trying to keep the building taste in her throat from coming up. She knew why she'd been brought to his quarters; it was quite obvious as he shrugged off his heavy coat. Throwing it across the back of a chair and flinging his hat nearby, he stalked towards Anamaria.

"Get away from me, yah disgusting pig!" She yelled as his hand caressed her arm. Taking a step backwards her legs hitting the bed she bent forward and tripped onto the bed.

"Good wench, yah know exactly where to go." Zachary chuckled as he came over and kneeled beside her on the bed, reaching for her shirt.

Anamaria saw the Captain's pistol still hanging from his belt. She smiled slyly up at him and with much a force to her dignity she grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled his lips to hers.

Zachary was confused at the shift in her attitude and his shoulders shrugged slightly, before Anamaria grabbed the gun from him and shoved him away. Swiping her mouth, she spit off the side of the bed and cocked the pistol aiming at his head.

"Stupid bitch!" Zachary growled.

"Stupid? Stupid?" Her voice rising, "how can you call me stupid when you're the bloody idiot who wore his gun?!"

"Funny thing is..." He said slowly approaching her.

"Get away from me or I'll blow your brains right out of that head!" Anamaria threatened.

Zachary didn't stop and Anamaria closed her eyes and only took a second to hesitate before squeezing the trigger. However, no shot was heard and the pistol was jerked out of her hand.

"Funny thing is, I didn't load it." Zachary laughed hollowly, throwing his head back to enjoy his moment of delight. It didn't last long, because Anamaria took it upon herself to stand up and kick him in a part where no man, pirate or not, would like to be kicked.

The captain squeaked and grabbed himself, still clinging to the unloaded pistol. Anamaria made her way around him and grabbed doorknob. Jerking it open, she stepped out and took a glance back at the helpless man rolling around on the floor. She smirked happily but suddenly she felt the butt of a sword come down on the back of her head.

Anamaria dropped to the ground like a statue and a dirty, grinning pirate stood behind her, sword raised. "I heard some commotion down 'ere, Captain. Captain? Captain Bailey, sir?"

"What?" Zachary snarled, rolling over to see one of his crewmembers standing over Anamaria's unconscious body.

"Umm... I got the woman, Captain."

"Throw her in the brig! Now!"

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"How did yah get shot?" Elizabeth asked Jack suspiciously, sensing she wasn't getting the whole story.

"Well on the ship, with the friendly captain, we ran into a bit of trouble." Jack covered. "So being Captain Jack Sparrow, I saved a man's life and took a bullet for him."

Elizabeth looked Jack over thoughtfully, "I don't believe you." She snorted.

"You don't?" Jack hoped that he hadn't been found out.

"No." Elizabeth said simply. "I don't believe you would jump in the way of a bullet."

Jack smiled slightly, realizing Elizabeth was only talking about that part of the story. "Whatever, luv, but that's not the point. The Captain, from the ship I sailed in on has been so kind as to lend me a ride to Tortuga. And I'm 'ere to get yah two tah come."

"Why do you need us, Jack?" Will asked.

"Captain." Jack said out of habitat.

Will glared at him and started to repeat his question as Jack searched his mind for a clever answer. "'Captain' Jack, why do you need us?"

"Simple whelp, I need yah to help me sail the ship I 'borrow' from a friend in Tortuga." Jack added, "before yah start making excuses, the two of yah are the only ones I trust to captain with, 'sides from the Pearl's crew."

"There's no one else? I mean Jack, come on we have some important things to take care of here." Elizabeth motioned to little Rebecca snuggled in Will's arms.

"Lass, at least yah know that if yah leave her 'ere she'll be safe with the governor... or bloody Norrington. Me though, I don't know what 'appened to me love. She could be out there sailing 'round lookin' for me, or something bad could've 'appened to 'er." Jack spoke of the Pearl softly. "So please... Lizzy? Whelp?"

Will finally gave in. "How long would it be?"

"Dunno, but at the most... a week." Jack said.

"Elizabeth? What do you say, honey? It's up to you." Will turned to his wife.

Elizabeth's face was clouded with thoughts, "Well, I guess Rebecca would be all right with father." Standing a little straighter, she spun on Jack, and he could see the look of determination on her face. "But you... 'Captain Jack Sparrow' must let me see that leg before anyone goes anywhere; otherwise Will and I won't be going."

Jack sighed and dropped back on the couch. He winced at the bargaining lady above him, knowing full well he couldn't argue with her, not now. "Alright, but make it fast."

"Don't tell me what to do Jack Sparrow!" She raised her hand threateningly and Jack cowered, ducking away.

'Bloody woman' He thought glancing out the window again at the slowly descending sun. 'I'm comin' Ana.'

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Thanks so much for all the reviews (they're were a lot this time). I'm so sorry that it took me so long to get this chapter out, but I have this bug- phobia, and I found a giant cockroach in my room. I refused to go back in for like a week, so that is my excuse. You can bash me about it all you want reviewers but if I see another one I'll probably do the exact same thing. Lol! Anyways, I really hope you liked this chappy, I think it is almost as long as the last! And here an ode to my awesome reviewers:

REVIEWERS YOU ARE THE BEST!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! : )

LADYTIYE: Thanks a lot for the great review. I'm so glad that you like my story and I hope you had fun reading this chappy too! I'll try to keep writing as soon as possible.

TrappedAndAnnoyed: Yah! Thanks for both of the reviews on this chapter, whether you meant to or not. Lol. I'm so happy you enjoyed that flashback, my slow mind took a long time to come up with it.

lili-lulabye13: Yeah, another new reviewer. I'm so happy that my story happens to be one of your favorites. I hope you like Elizabeth and Will in this chappy, it is one of my first times writing them. I hope I did them some justice!

Charley: Oh Charley, Charley, Charley, once again thank you for the great compliments and reviews, what would I do without you? I'm sorry that this chapter took so long to come out, I'll try my best to update sooner, promise! Hugs and Kisses back to you!

Araminta Ditch: Really nice reviews, you say? Your favorite person? Okay well here is an update, a little slow, but I hope the same quality of work! Thanks for the reviews so far and keep going on you story!

Eccentric Banshee: Yeah a review! A really nice review! You are so cool! lol Thanks so much for all the reviews I keep getting from you. I'm glad you thought the last chappy was beautiful! I hope that this one is as "pretty" as the last. Keep reviewing, please and I promise to add more Ana in the next chappy!

Margo: Another new reviewer! Wow I got a lot of new people this time. I'm so happy that you like it, and I agree with you about Ana being wicked in the movie. Not bad wicked, but wicked cool, wicked! I heard the next pirates movie is scheduled to be out 2005 and I'm hoping for Jack/Ana romance! Lets all pray for that!!

Erica Dawn: I'm hurrying I'm hurrying! Thanks for the review though, it was very nice. I'm glad that I have you on the edge of your seat. And hey we have something in common, a general liking of J/A stories. Well I'll make sure to keep this away from the cliché Mary-Sue kinda ending. I'll try!

PiratePrincess91: Well it seems that Jack is finally gonna get that bullet out of his poor leg, but he doesn't have much time before the sun sets. I'm glad you enjoyed the flashback- I know it is a bit weird that Jack pulled his gun out so quickly but hey that's how I thought he must have been back then. I agree with you that it doesn't seem to be his fault, killing the Bailey's, but poor Jack, doesn't seem to see that. Thanks for the review again and I will try to update as soon as possible. (No need to worry about spelling, I'm the same way, most of the time.)

Kungfuchick: Ah... another review from my faithful kungfuchick. Many thanks once again for the reviews that keep me writing this story!

**If I forgot anyone, give me a holler and I'll be sure to get yah next time. Anyways thanks a bunch for the lovely reviews, they really do help me write this here story. So I hope you had fun reading and please review if you can! By the way, about the changing name thing... well I got bored with the other one, and I think this one is pretty. It's in French, although it doesn't mean something very nice I still thought it was cool. So anyways, I appreciate the reviews so far and don't stop! Cya later! -Rachel