Sorry it took so long everyone, you know the usual reasons. Enjoy!

Chapter 8

"Gin?" Elizabeth wrapped softly on her friend's bedroom door for a second time. She almost hoped she wouldn't answer. It would save her the trouble of now, of all times, informing her that not only was her daughter missing, but her daughter's father whom she hadn't seen in almost two decades happened to be downstairs in the foyer.

Finally the door swung open to reveal the younger woman, a handkerchief crumpled in her hand that had long passed its point of being useful. "Is Katherine talking?" she inquired hopefully.

Elizabeth simply shook her head, not really knowing how to reply to the question. "I need you to come downstairs. Someone…something's happened."

Gin's eyebrows immediately drew together in concern and she paused before speaking, looking as though she wasn't sure she wanted the answer to the question she was about to ask. "What's happened?"

"Just please come with me."

Elizabeth turned and started down the upstairs corridor, her pace none too enthusiastic. Not knowing what else to do, and seeing that whatever the situation, it was clear her friend would not reveal it until they were on the bottom floor, Gin followed hesitantly.

"Elizabeth, what is it?" she insisted, hurrying to keep up with her as she moved quickly down the stairs. Her worry grew with ever step she descended. But it dissolved into confusion when she saw the large, familiar man standing in the front hall upon their arrival.

She squinted at him, carefully assuring herself she wasn't seeing things. "Mr. Gibbs?" she clarified, incredulously.

He nodded at her. "Miss Harold."

Gin was unable to suppress a slightly nervous giggle at this. It had been years since someone had called her by her maiden name and it sounded strangely foreign to her ears. Like Miss Harold had been a totally separate person from her present self; one that hardly existed these days.

She was all prepared to question the both of them about his presence there when a voice, moving toward them from another room from the echo of it, cut her off.

"Will's all concerned, talkin' about goin' after the girl on his own! And for some reason, I get the strange feeling we're not welcome 'ere."

Gin's eyes widened, almost imperceptibly and she glanced at Elizabeth, terror evident in her gaze. She was met with much the same expression on the other woman's face. When she finally gained the courage to turn, her suspicions were confirmed.

Jack stood there in the doorway to the drawing room, rooted to the spot, much like everyone else seemed to be.

Elizabeth shifted with obvious discomfort and her eyes darted to Gibbs. She cleared her throat pointedly and he nodded at her, wringing his hat in his hands uneasily and eagerly following her when she moved to leave the foyer.

Which left Jack and Gin standing there alone. Together.

Neither moved for several moments, both waiting for the other to speak, Jack guessed. He was suddenly keenly aware that this was one of the few times in his life that he had been rendered speechless and it was rather unsettling. His mind screamed at him to say something. Anything.

"What are you doin' in the Caribbean, love?" he asked finally, surprised at how easily the familiar title slipped from his lips. Not that he hadn't been perfectly comfortable calling her by it years ago before he had even known her name. But now…well, things were different, to say the least.

"What are you doing here?" she questioned, indicating the Turner estate.

He swallowed hard. It was quite possible he had never been so uncomfortable in all of his life. "Was just stopping by to ask a few questions," he clarified. He jerked his head toward the room that contained the others. "Now it seems there's a few problems that require my expertise."

Gin shook her head, confused. "What problems?"

"Uh, girl's gone missin'." He raised a hand and held it level at his shoulder, flattened, "'bout so high. Dark hair. Name o' Katherine, according to Elizabeth."

"Katherine's missing?" Gin demanded, taking a step forward in her shock, not considering that she was moving closer to him.

"Friend of yours?"

She would have been nervous about the question had she not been so concerned and urgent. "She's my daughter." She moved past him completely now, not stopping to register his reaction, her only motive to find her husband and demand answers about Katherine's disappearance.

When she entered the parlor, everyone turned to her, Richard crossing the floor to her and slipping an arm around her shoulders. "We'll contact the Navy immediately," he assured her. She was about to respond when Jack's voice broke interrupted her again:

"Won't do any good," he informed them. She turned to find him leaning in the doorway, his stance as comfortable and nonchalant as always, as if he owned the room. The air of a man who was accustomed to being the superior in most places he visited. "Situation such as this is considered secondary at the time being-what with the Americans getting' rowdy up north and all. Best to go yerselves."

Richard gazed at him, clearly profoundly shocked. "What? I-you-"

"Explanations later," Jack said. "Far as I know, you've got a little problem, yes?"

"How…?" Richard went on, obviously entirely bewildered.

"Richard, please," Gin entreated. He turned to her, somewhat dazed. "Katherine."

"I should have you arrested!" Richard yelled at the pirate in the doorway. "And once you're sitting in prison, you can explain exactly how you managed to escape the last time! We'll be adding it to your rather daunting list of offences, Sparrow."

"Richard!" Gin grabbed onto his shoulder, forcing him to face her. "There's no time for this."

"I want to know how and why he is here!" he persisted. Jack sighed, beginning to understand why Will had been so insistent that he leave the house and preferably Port Royal as soon as possible.

"Katherine is missing!" Gin reminded her husband desperately. "Our daughter!"

Though he was still obviously seething and the looks he gave Jack were not at all friendly, the reminder seemed to sober him up somewhat. He was visibly forcing himself to calm down and he sighed as well, turning to Will. "What do you suggest?"

"I suggest you use yer considerable naval influence to borrow a ship and set sail after her." Jack offered a lopsided grin. "'course, if that doesn't work, you'll be needin' a pirate."

"I am not stealing a ship, nor did I ask for your suggestion!" Richard yelled, removing his hand from Gin's shoulder.

"Right," Jack shrugged, disinterested and began examining his fingernails. "Best to leave your girl with an entire crew of pirates rather than workin' with one," he said sardonically. "For someone so educated, you don't have much common sense Lieutenant."

"Admiral," he corrected him.

Jack ignored this.

"We have no idea where they've even gone," Will broke in then. "Going after them would be pointless without backup like the navy."

"Not like we haven't done it before lad," Jack reminded him. He examined the younger man head to toe. "What happened to that kid?"

"He grew up," Will returned.

"We can't just do nothing!" Gin said frantically. She turned desperately to her husband at her side again. "We have to go after her."

"With what?" he asked, now to some extent more rational. "There are only a few ships in the harbor and they're only the minimal amount for the colony's defense. The rest are north. They would never allow us to take one for any allotted amount of time."

"That's why you don't ask, mate," Jack told him, as if this answer should have been self-evident. Richard turned to him angrily, but before he could say anything, Jack shrugged again and his attention turned to his hands once more as he began fiddling with one of his rings. "Better to apologize than to ask permission, I always say."

"Not all of us have such a cavalier attitude toward the law, Captain Sparrow," Richard said, his jaw clenched tightly in barely controlled outrage again.

Jack studied him until he could tell the admiral found his gaze unnerving. "Most would adopt one when their child's life is at stake."

Richard swallowed and looked to his wife, whose pleading eyes were already focused on him. "Virginia, I want to go after her as much as you," he desperately tried to explain, though perfectly aware that rationalizing would get him no where. "But my hands are tied."

"Then untie them," she insisted, growing as frustrated herself as he was with Jack.

Richard's gaze turned to the Turner's, then surprisingly to Jack. "Is there no other option?" he asked, almost civilly.

"Not that I'm aware." The dark-haired pirate pushed off from the doorway and crossed his arms across his chest. "But hey, your daughter, your call. I didn't come here planning on another little rescue mission."

Richard sighed and shook his head. "I can't believe I'm saying this…but I will not leave my daughter to those miscreants."

"Right," Jack clapped his hands together loudly, enjoying the jump it elicited from Elizabeth. "Settled then."

Gin observed him silently, wondering exactly what his motive was. She had never known this man to help someone without one of his own agendas backing his philanthropy as an ulterior motive. She was tempted to ask what was in it for him, but realized that wouldn't be the most productive thing to do.

"So," he began, oblivious to her reverie. His eyes darted around the room to all present. "What are we waitin' for?"

* * * * *

Took a while to write guys, so reply!! Next chapter, we go check on Katherine aboard The Black Pearl!