The sun was setting as the Avenger, Amera's ship, sailed out into the ocean, without her. She could feel her heart sinking; everything she had worked so hard for was slipping right out of her fingertips. Amera fell to her knees as the Endurance and the Avenger sailed side by side further and further away.

She was so full of loss and despair, but at the same time was filling with rage. Yet, she was so confused how it all had happened. How had her ship been taken when there were so many of her shipmates onboard? Were they ambushed? Or did someone onboard turn against them? All Amera knew was that all her resources and information were onboard because she hadn't thoroughly investigated Gibbs. And he, Andrew, and Torin were now being taken and all she had was Captain Jack Sparrow.

Jack! Amera felt stupid, this entire time she had been looking everywhere for information and clues and she forgot to check in the obvious place! She turned around quickly, but found no one on the docks with her.

Jack, who was just passing the Oyster's Pearl, was casually walking away from the docks where he left Amera; trying to stay absolutely relaxed so no one would notice his panic. Then suddenly, Amera ran up beside Jack and pushed him against the wall outside the bar, holding him up so he wouldn't slither away. Obviously, she had noticed him panic.

"What happened here that night Jack?" Amera shouted as she slammed Jack against the wall. "OW! Knightly, there's a board that's digging into my neck! Stop it!" She slammed him again, "Tell me what really happened to your ship Jack; you haven't been as honest as I thought!" "Don't you know what kinda man I am Amera? A dishonest one, and you can always trust that I'll be dishonest. Honestly, I thought you'd already figured that one out!"

Amera let out a sigh as she stood there, holding up Jack against his will, then spoke, "Looks like I hafta do this the hard way!" Then Jack looked at her in curiosity and asked, "Wasn't this the hard way?" She smiled spitefully and without a warning, made a fist and punched Jack unconscious.

His eyes were glazed and hazy as Jack woke up. But, when his full eyesight was back, he couldn't see much. He stood up, but wobbled back over. He was on a boat, no bigger than fifteen feet with only a rudder and a sail. Amera was steering as she looked into the darkness, not caring that Jack had woken up.

In it fit of confusion and anger, Jack hollered, "What in the hell are you doing Knightly?" Amera responded to him with what seemed no energy or interest. "I'm getting my ship back is what I'm doing! From here on out I don't care if you ever see the Black Pearl again, I'm through with you and your crap!"

Then, Jack looked around at the boat and asked in frustration, "Where did you get this boat?" "From the harbor," Amera replied, "I used a few of your gold pieces you had in your inner coat pocket and bought it. That should pretty much make up for half the food and rum you've consumed on my ship!"

More and more Sparrow was growing furious. He kicked a bucket that was on the floor and stomped over to Amera and asked his final question, "Why bother bring me with you then since you loathe me so damn much?" Amera chuckled a little, then instantly removed the pistol from her belt and pointed it square at Jack's forehead. "I never had a proper conversation with you our whole adventure together, that's why." She motioned him to sit down and he did with a sigh, he knew what things he would have to confess.

"Let me just start from the beginning," Jack said as Amera slowly sat down still guiding the boat with her left hand. "Because that's when things got mad."

7 months ago

"Drinks all around for these fine gentlemen, mate!" Jack was in the Oyster's Pearl that evening, enjoying some rum with a few sailors he had just met. There were three at the time, all shipmates on the ship, The Endurance. Jack was sitting and talking with them, not thinking much of anything.

Gibbs was also there, not drinking as much as Jack had but was having a good time. That's when the first mistake was made. Gibbs got up from the table everyone was at to go back to the men's room; by the time he was back, the card game had started, poker.

Jack was pretty good at it, but, what he didn't know was that The Endurance sailors liked to cheat. The game went on for quite awhile, and Gibbs was beginning to become unsure about the sailors. Theodore, one of the pirates, was the last one left playing against Jack. And that's when the third round of drinks came out. One of the Endurance pirates brought them to the table, laughing as he went. Then he passed a mug of rum to Jack, who gulped it down thinking nothing of it.

The two card players started betting more than money that night, they started with objects they possessed on their ships. Jack bet one of his many revolvers; then, Theodore came out and bet The Endurance. Everyone was floored, even Jack. When Jack asked hazily how Theodore could bet his Captain's ship, he replied, "I am the Captain of The Endurance." Jack was impressed, as well as really drunk. However, Gibbs wasn't. He knew something bad was going to happen if Jack continued to play cards.

Just then, Jack made up his mind and with a very slurred voice said, "How's about I put in my own ship against yours, and winner keeps all. Savvy?" Gibbs knew it would happen, and without thinking, he got up from his chair and started yelling at Jack. But when Theodore's crewmate punched him unconscious, it was already too late for Jack Sparrow.

Jack was becoming more and more unaware of what was going on; obviously, his last drink had hurt him bad. And when the time came for the two to show their cards, Jack had lost; but, when that happened, he passed out.

"And when I woke up the next morning with an extremely painful headache, I looked outside and found my ship was gone. Theodore took my crew and everything I owned on that ship. So, I stumbled to the nearest boat and gave the captain a few gold coins I had on me to take me to the nearest port, hoping that either the Endurance or my ship was there. But everywhere I went, there was no hope. Not until I met up with you Amera."

Amera looked up into Jack's dark eyes finally, taking everything that he had said in. She was shocked, he really did tell the truth this time. And with that in mind, she put her fist directly into Jack's nose.

"OW! I told you the truth, why would you punch me for being honest?!?" Jack yelled as he held his bloody nose. "You of all people should know Jack, you can never tell when an honest person will do something completely stupid! You messed up Jack, you messed up big time! Why would you even bet your own ship? You love the Black Pearl more than life!"

"That's just the question, thank you." He said as Amera handed him a rag to stop the blood flow from his nose. "You see, I usually am a pretty good man even when I'm drunk," Amera laughed at him when he said this, but Jack continued, "But for some strange reason, that night and those drinks, it just made me so tired and everything was hazy."

Amera took off her black coat and set it behind her as she laid back. "Jack, I think you're wrong there. Rum, it messes with your mind. Everything you're suspecting is all in your head. You got too drunk and lost your ship in a card game. Now that, that was your own fault! But me, losing my ship wasn't my fault, it was yours!"

Jack stood up in fury, "My fault? You're saying that was my fault?" Amera stood up and stepped towards him, "Aye, I believe I was! If I can remember correctly I wouldn't have been in St. Lucia in the first place if you hadn't begged me on this scavenger hunt!" "No no no missy, you are not pinning this on me!" "Oh yes I am, and I have every right to be!"

Then, Sparrow narrowed his eyes and slyly put his hands on his waist. "Right then, you want to play? Then we'll play! I almost got hanged because of you two years ago remember? In Port Royal?" Amera looked at Jack in confusion, "What? That was so your fault Sparrow!" But Jack protested, "No it wasn't! Who was floating in the water beside my ship then? Who asked me for a lift on my ship? And who got kidnapped by pirates and made me rescue them which resulted in arrest of Commodore Norrington huh?"

Amera's fists were clenching, her forehead was soaked in sweat as she thought in frustration. Then suddenly, she screamed and stomped up to Jack and slapped him hard across the left cheek. "I hate you, I hate you! Why do you keep popping back in my life when I don't want you? Why does everything go wrong? I feel like I have nothing now, and that I don't know anything! Except one thing, I know that my ship went due west," Amera pointed past Jack who was at the bow of the boat. "That way! I'm going the way I saw my ship going, and that's all I know. That's all I know to do!"

She sat down and put her face in her hand, while the other one steered again. A few tears ran down her face, Amera couldn't believe how confused and upset she was. She felt like her years of glory and reign of the sea were over.

Then suddenly, she felt a hand on each of her shoulders. She looked up into Jack's regretful face. And then quietly, he said, "The Endurance isn't going this way Amera." With all the strength she had, Amera asked, "Then where are they going Jack?" He sighed and frowned at the question, and pondered a moment until he whispered, "Lazzara."