Hahahahah this took abosutely forever for me to type up, but now here it is. Yay!!!!!!!!! Enjoy.

Chapter 4

Anna adjusted her hat and coat, wiping away any trace of sweat. She shifted uncomfortably, attempting to make the cloth that bout her chest flat just a bit more bearable.

"Anna," Alex whispered softly. "Are you sure you want to do it this way? There are other ways." He touched the brim of her hat.

"No, Alex, they know you here. I intend for this to be quick and painless. Besides, I find this incredibly more comfortable than a dress and corset."

Alex sighed and shook his head. "You are a stubborn as a mule, Anna. I would have better luck changing a rock's mind than changing yours."

"That is because a rock does not have a mind of it's own," she muttered as she loosely tied a rope around his wrists and tucked a sheathed dagger into the folds of his shirt.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked her suddenly. "Taking these risks?"

"Because," she said, absentmindedly tightening his bonds, "Jack is all the family I have left. He would do the some for me." She let her hands fall to her sides.

Sensing her dismay, he took her face in his hands and kissed her softly. She closed her eyes, a tear sliding down her cheek.

Alex wiped it away. "Just be careful, Anna. I have just barely met you and I don't want to lose you."

"C'mon, Anna," Sam called. "Let's go."

Anna nodded. "Let's go."

Jack sighed.

Tipping his hat over his eyes, he wondered. How long had he been here? How long until dawn? Where the hell was Anna? Did she know he was here? Did anyone know he was here? He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.

"What's this?" came the guard's voice from the top of the stairs.

"Prisoners," replied a strangely familiar voice.

"I've never seen you before..."

There was a sickening thud and the guard suddenly toppled down the stairs into view, his metal decorations clanking against the stone steps. Jack stared. The sound of footsteps brought him out of his momentary trance. Two more soldiers appeared, but they weren't guards. It was Anna and Sam!

Anna removed her hat, letting her long, thick red braid cascade down her back.

"Anna!" Jack called. She ran to the cell door and they hugged through the bars. "What took yeh so long?"

"Ah, well, y'know..." She smiled.

"Anna!" Sam called. "I can't find the keys!"

Alex and Will came down the stairs. "Nothing up there," Alex said, dismayed.

A sudden clatter of metal on stone caused all five heads to turn towards the stairs leading down into the fort. Silence rang on for another moment before Anna stepped away from Jack. She pulled a small pistol from inside her jacket and loosened her sword.

"I'll check it out. The rest of you find a way to get Jack out."

"Anna...Anna c'mon...let one of us do it...Anna..." the others argued at the same time.

Anna whipped around, clearly annoyed. "Don't argue. I can take care of myself." With a final death glare, she turned and disappeared down the stairs.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Jack asked after another moment of silence. "Yeh heard what she said? Get me out!"

Anna carefully rounded corner after corner of the labyrinth below the fort. Whomever had been down there was probably long gone by now. She turned around to head back when she ran head on into a dark figure. The force knocked her to the ground for the second time that day. Her hand shot out for her pistol that lay on the ground nearby, a heavily booted foot came crunching down on her arm. She let out a yelp of pain as her right leg shot up instinctively and kicked the figure square in the chest. He doubled over in pain and stumbled back, releasing her arm. She rolled over, and grabbing her pistol pushed herself to her feet, cocked in and aimed it at him.

"I didn't know you redcoats were so good in hand to hand combat," he gasped out. Anna blinked in surprise. That voice. It was so familiar...

"B...Bootstrap?" she asked hoarsely. In the dim lamplight, she could barely make out the shock on his face.

"Wha...who are you? And how do you know me name?"

She in turn stepped into the small pool of light.

"Mary, Mother of God," he muttered. "Anna!"

Smiling, Anna rushed into his arms. He hugged her tight. Finally, he held her back at arms length and examined her. "My God, how you have grown."

"How?" she asked softly. "How did you survive?"

"Ah, well, yeh see..." he paused. "That is a story for later. Now, we have to get Jack out." Anna nodded and slipped her hand into his. He smiled and squeezed it gently.

"Does anyone else know you're alive?"

"No, yer the first."

"You have no idea how much I've missed you, Bill." He flinched. "What's the matter?" she asked softly, stopping. He turned to face her.

"Twelve years is a long time, Anna. A long time teh wait, and hope nothing has changed too much. But it was a false hope. You've grown up so much. Almost too much." She looked at him, confused. "During these past twelve years, I've thought about yeh, Anna. A lot. But all of those thoughts were of a bright little six-year-old girl. Now, yer all grown up; a beautiful young woman of eighteen, if I've counted correctly." He touched her cheek with his thumb. "I love you, Anna Sparrow. You will always the little girl I'll never have."

"Oh, Bootstrap!" she sobbed and flung herself into his arms. He kissed the top of her head and held her for another moment.

"We've lingered here too long. We need to find Jack."

She grabbed his hand. "C'mon I know where he is."

They walked in silence for a good long time, until Anna suddenly remembered something very important.

"Bill," she said softly.

"Aye?" he answered.

"Will is here."

Bootstrap missed a step. "Will? My Will?" he asked in shock. Anna nodded.

They walked in silence the rest of the way to Jack's cell.

They were nearing the last flight of stairs when soft banging floated down. Then came voices.

"Why can't yeh jest lift it out like the last time, Will?"

"Too much noise, Jack," Will answered softly. Bill's grip on Anna's hand increased.

"That didn't worry you the last time," Jack protested.

"Last time," Will said firmly. "Last time, the town was just recovering from a pirate attack. Last time, it was broad daylight."

Jack sighed as Anna led Bill up the stairs.

"Anna!" Alex exclaimed, as he was the first to see her emerge from the shadow of the stairs. Anna smiled at him, and then looked to the others.

"Did you find the keys while you were-"Jack began, but trailed off when bill emerged from the shadows, dangling the keys from his fingers.

"Bloody hell! I can't be! Bill?"

"Long time, no see, eh Jack?" Bill chuckled as he unlocked the doors.

"How?" was all Jack could stammer out as he stumbled from the cell. Anna tore herself from Alex's embrace to catch her uncle. Jack waved her away.

Will stood to the side, watching in utter confusion. This man... Bill. He's so... familiar.

"'Tis a long story, Jack. Perhaps later," Bill smiled at him. He then turned to face Will. "Hello, William."

"Who are you?" was the reply. Cold and hard.

"I'm your father, Will."

"My father is dead. He died twelve years ago."

"No..." Bill shook his head. "Perhaps I should tell you now." He sighed. "When I was strapped to that cannon all those years ago, luck must have been on my side. The curse on the Aztec gold had already started to take effect. Even in the crushing black oblivion that was Davy Jones' locker, I was able to survive. I found a sharp rock and was able to saw the ropes that held me. I escaped, and I came to live in Kingston. I chose Kingston because few pirates ever sail there. I spent the last twelve years getting what I needed by day and staying in my small hut at night. Most of the people there thought of me as a crazy old hermit. It was really very funny.

"Then, about two years ago I heard that Jack had been arrested in Port Royal. I was overjoyed to know that he was alive, yet not for much longer. It was shortly after that that the curse was lifted. I was so glad that I cried that night, knowing that Jack was dead, and the curse was lifted was too much. But when I found out that Jack was, in fact, very much alive and on his way back to Port Royal, I took the first boat over and have been here three days."

There was stunned silence. Even Anna couldn't speak. Suddenly, Will broke down and rushed into Bill's arms and sobbed. Jack joined the fray a few seconds later, followed by Anna. In the frenzy of arms, Will and Anna soon found themselves sobbing and hugging each other. Jack and Bill were nearby, also hugging.

"Good to see you again, Bill," Jack said hugging his friend again.

"You too, Jack."

"I really hate to break up this tender moment," Alex said suddenly. "But we need to get going. The watch will be changing soon."

They all nodded, grabbed what little lay forgotten and rushed out of the prison.

Anna, being the last through the door, shut it quietly behind her. She looked around at her tired companions, suddenly envying Elizabeth and Jacky for being able to sleep in that nice soft bed while she plopped down on an old barrel next to Will. He smiled up at her as he tinkered with something in his hand.

"What are you playing with?" she asked curiously.

"Nothing really," he answered, opening his hand. "It's just a ring." Anna gasped.

"What?"

She reached down into her shirt and pulled up a leather thong with ring on it. It was Will's turn to be surprised.

The two rings were exactly identical. They were of a black metal with a single colored band thru the center. The only difference was that Anna's strip was red and Will's was blue. The two exchanged looks and instantly felt a special bond between them.

"I've always wanted a brother," Anna said thoughtfully. Will smiled at her.

"I'd be happy to have a sister," he said to her, and hugged her.

"Now, what about this?" She spun her ring on her palm. "Should we ask Jack and Bill?"

"Not tonight. It's late."

The door opened and Anamaria and Gibbs stepped into the shop. "We've found a hideaway for the Cap'n," said Gibbs.

"Wonderful!" Jack said. "Let's be off."

Jack started out the door, followed by Gibbs, then Anamaria and Sam. Bill stood there, looking rather confused at what he was to do. After all, nobody had really known that he would have been there. They silently contemplated the predicament before Will spoke up.

"There's plenty of room at my place," he said, kind of hopefully. He looked at his father, praying he would agree to his hint.

Bill smiled. "Of course. I'd love to stay with my son tonight."

Anna carefully climbed up the trellis and tapped three times on Elizabeth's window. She was at it in a flash and threw it open.

"Anna! Thank god, Jacky and I have been out of our minds with worry."

"Worry later," Anna said. "I need sleep."

Alex carefully shut his window behind him and heaved a sigh of relief. He then collapsed onto his bed, clothes and was instantly asleep.

Bill and Will stepped into Will's small house.

"It's not much," Will told his father, blushing.

"It's perfect."

Jack and company carefully made their way from town and into the surrounding trees. Anamaria led the to a small cave, with a fire lit and everything already there. Jack sighed as he stepped into the cramped cave and the four settled down for the night.

Silence fell, and all were unknowing of the horrible day that was ahead.

Bwhahahahaha cliffhanger!!!!! It may take a while for me to finish chapter 5, but it is started.

luv always

Anna