A/N This is my second to last chapter! Please read and review. Oh and out of interest…who wants a happy ending, and who wants a sad ending? I'm giving nothing away! ahem anyway please read and enjoy!

Chapter Thirty Six

What a choice. Jack or life? The commander took me to the cells below the deck. I was thrown in with the few remaining survivors from the Fantasma. In fact, the wet walls, and confined space rather remind me of the cell I am now sitting in. Though now I do not have to share it with any one, unless you count Thomas.

James looked up at me in despair. "Mubbs is dead." He whispered.

I groaned softly and closed my eyes, sibling love, something I had not really experienced, or ever understood. After all, I had ended up marrying the man I had considered closest to being my brother.

"At least he died fighting." I said, but as soon as it came out of my mouth, I regretted it.

"It was your fault!" James started. "We wouldn't have been waiting if it wasn't for you!"

"I thought it was the Pearl." I said, rather pathetically. Jack would certainly have been ashamed of me, but not as ashamed as I was.

"It wasn't." He said, rather spitefully. "And not even Jack can save you now!"

"Well, at least you can join your brother when we reach the port." I said, annoyed. The rest of the crew, all six of them, had stopped talking, and were now paying rapt attention to our conversation. James had noticed and it seemed to build up his confidence. Perhaps he was one of those people who needed an audience in order to perform to his full potential. Or perhaps he just liked attention, though both possibilities are rather similar.

"You will, but I won't." He said, sullenly.

"What?" I asked.

"I'm only seventeen, all I has to do is claim ignorance, besides it's not us they be after, it's Jack."

"What?" I repeated, my voice had a flat tone of anger to it.

James grinned. "Have they not told you?" He sneered.

"Told me what?"

"Dora, we're only here 'cause they wanna get to Jack. They heard about you and 'im, and decided you were the way to capture Jack. That's why they waited, and took their chance wit' the Fantasma."

I pulled my hands through my hair, but found it harder then I thought, my hair was knotted, and stuck together, refusing to allow my fingers through.

"We were attacked 'cause they want Jack?" I demanded.

He nodded. "Basically."

I fought back my anger, and inside a smile played on my lips. "How ironic!"

He just shook his head. "What you gonna do then?" He asked.

"About what?"

"Jack."

I turned away, my bronzed hand clutching the rusty bar, as my eyes followed one of the lieutenants as he strolled across my eye-line. "I don't know. Wait a second, before you said, you were getting away with it?"

He nodded, with a smug smile. "All I had to do was confirm your relationship with Jack."

"You did what?"

"Sorry Dora, but my life has always been one o' the most important things." He replied, with a crude wink.

"Further up your list then loyalty?" I asked.

"Loyalty to whom? You got my brother killed, if the navy dinna kill you, I would!" He spat, in disgust.

"I'm sorry." I said, softly. I don't know why, but I almost felt sorry for him, even though he had just confessed to snitching about Jack and I. "About Mubbs. It wasn't meant to be like that, it was supposed to be the Pearl, it was supposed to be Jack, coming to get me."

After I'd said it, a silence fell on the cell. The other prisoners shuffled uncomfortably, and there was the occasional mutter between them. But James was the only one who'd wormed his way out of being hung, the rest were quietly contemplating the fate that awaited them once they reached shore.

"You are pathetic. Jack is never going to come for you, you are not as important as his life, Sanchez!" He sneered.

"And yet he is far more important to me then mine."

"Then you are a bigger fool then you look!" James cried, angrily, and I saw a glimmer of fear in his eyes.

I laughed rather cruelly. "Ah, I see now. I have the power of life and death over you, just as I do over Jack. If Jack lives, he'll surely kill you, but I shall die. And if I live, you live, but Jack dies. All very complicated don't you think?"

He laughed, nervously. "Where is the problem. You and me will be alive an' kickin', Dora."

I smiled inwardly, wondering what had happened to his impotent 'Sanchez'.

I just shook my head softly, and my grubby matted hair shook around my ears. He looked at me in alarm.

"You can't be serious?" He said, weakly. "You're going to die for Jack?" He said, in disbelief.

I turned away, defiantly, gripping on to one of the bars. I hadn't yet decided what I was going to do.

By the end of the journey, I felt weak and groggy, lack of sunlight and food had really taken its toll, and I was barely conscious when James shook me awake.

"We've reached port Dora, they be lettin' me go soon." He said, softly. "What you gonna tell 'em?"

I opened my eyes slowly, but closed them again. His hand stroked my face impatiently. If I hadn't known better I would have thought he cared. But no all he was bothered about was having Jack after him. Well, after all it is a pretty scary prospect.

"James, go to Jack, tell him I…I'm glad he gave me the Fantasma, because I realised on board, that I didn't love him at all. I killed Annamaria because I wanted him all to myself, I wanted the money and the power. That's all. And well you're there, apologise for grassing us in."

"Are you crazy?" He demanded, "I'm not going to Jack."

"You can run all you like, but he'll find you, and then it will be much worse." I insisted.

"Just tell 'em where he is!" He yelled, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me. "If all that shit that has just come out o' your mouth is true, then just tell 'em!"

"It's not true. Of course it's not. But if he thinks I still love him, he might try and rescue me, there is no point both of us dying. Do this for me James, or I swear I'll come back and haunt you! I don't care what you do, but stop Jack coming to the gallows."

"They definitely be hangin' yer?"

I nodded. "I killed a navy officer, but they be killing me 'cause Jack Sparrow is my lover, and this is the only way they see of getting to him."

He got up reluctantly, and stepped away from me.

"You have to go to him James, it's the only way he'll let you live." I said, softly from the floor.

It was the last thing I ever said to him. Minutes later, he was escorted from the cell, and I never saw him again.

The guards grabbed me round my stomach, and wrenched me from the ground. The pain was unbelievable, and I felt like I was going to be sick. I was dragged through the docks in chains, and the fishermen, and village folk all stopped to watch. They use to do that a lot when I was married to Roberto, the people would stop and back away from me in awe, now they did it in disgust. They stared at me as though I was the lowliest creature to ever grace their eyes. At one time it would have been the other way round.

And yet they couldn't see that it was actually the navy who robbed them of their lives, who stole from them, who had callously taken over their land and their lives. Not pirates like Jack.

I was heaved to a massive grey building, and dumped in a smallish office type room.

"The governor will be here shortly." Said the Captain. He then whispered a few instructions to the guards, and I closed my eyes in dread. Jack had told me many stories about navy brutality and I only hoped the governor was quick in his arrival.

Fortunately he was, and all I had to endure was brief teasing, and a few lustful stares. He walked in, in a very to-do manner. He had a thin, stretched face, containing a thin lipped mouth they stayed in a constant wonky line. His eyes were grey, similar to his hair, and the only sign of life was the occasional blinking. He had about three naval officers standing behind him, clothed in brilliant red. And the Captain behind them, who seemed to be greatly enjoying the whole situation.

One of the naval officer grabbed my collar and shook me angrily. "I don't think we're getting through to you girl. Either you tell us where Jack Sparrow is, or you shall hang in his place."

I just shook my head in defiance. I was so glad I had given that message to James, I couldn't bear to watch Jack hung. The officer saw the fear in my eyes and smirked.

"It takes a good five minutes you know, to die. Horrible death, the whole crowd clapping and cheering, egging you on." He said, his face so close, ours noses were almost touching.

I stared fiercely into his eyes, and uttered not a word. He couldn't scare me with his tales of death, his crude expressions, he could not trick me into speaking. They say if a man wants for nothing he is indestructible. I wanted nothing, not even life.

"We found you aboard the Fantasma, a vessel we know to once have been in the possession of Jack Sparrow." He continued.

The governor held up his hands, and the officer stepped backwards. A slight smile played on his lips as he stepped towards me. "You were going to meet Jack, all I need to know is where. You don't even have to tell me, you could just write it down." He pushed a piece of paper towards me, across the desk.

I didn't even look at it, my eyes remained firmly fixed on his face.

"That young boy, James, he walked free, you could do the same."

"My ship is at the bottom of the ocean, several of my crew are dead, and the navy had no reason to attack us, and yet I am the one face a death charge." I said, softly. I made it pointedly clear I wasn't going to co-operate.

He sighed softly. "Are you going to tell us where Jack Sparrow is, or shall I prepare the gallows for a pirate?"

"Oh sir, sir, I'm so sorry to interrupt, but it's time for the ball." Said, a young spotty lad, running forward.

I couldn't stop a cackling laugh. "Hurry, hurry, don't want to disappoint your guests."

"We shall finish this conversation tomorrow." He said, coldly.

"Oh I can hardly wait." I replied, sarcastically. I received a slap for my trouble.

After his departure I was taken to one of the court room cells. It was a bit more spacious then the one I am in now, but all I noticed at the time was how small it was.

A ball? I almost felt sorry for the governor, I remember them clearly as those vulgar social activities my mother use to drag me to, in the hope of finding me a husband. I felt like a cattle out on parade, and in the end it hadn't helped me. My father had always intended me for Roberto anyway, and my wishes never entered into the equation. Tomorrow seemed so close, as I lay back against the wall. I wondered if Jack had got my message, if he had heeded my warning. And how much he truly understood.

Later the next day, I was taken into a court room and sat before three men. One was the governor, the other two consisted of the Captain and the Commodore, and it was their job to determine my guilt. They rambled on about the technicalities of what makes a pirate, and what my crimes actually consisted of, before asking me one final time to betray Jack. This was my last chance. My last chance to save my life, and walk out of hell. But I didn't take it.

I didn't even hear the Commodore as he uttered his fateful words. "Dora Sanchez you have been found of piracy, a crime punishable by death. Tomorrow you shall be hung by the neck until dead."

A single tear pushed its way down my grubby face. Not because I was to die, but because I would never see Jack again, which was certainly a fate worse then death.

A/N Epilogue to follow…