Usual disclaimer- I don't make any money from this, it's a labor of love, so DON'T SUE ME! 

Now that that's done, we can get onto the fic.  I'd love ideas or anything anyone has to contribute- even flames, I guess (are those actually constructive??  They never really tell you what you're doing wrong.  Oh, well- I guess I'll never get it.)

Anyway- please R&R!

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Jack Sparrow crouched low in the streets of Port Rose. He had tailed Barbossa, who, damn him, was alive. Jack mentally cursed as he saw Barbossa's men, his former crew, march to an inn. It was a big place and looked like it turned a fair profit, but Jack sensed that there was more to it than that. He drew a dagger from his boot and made his way closer to the inn, prepared to help if they needed it. When they needed it, Jack amended. He looked up and saw a light ablaze. There was a beautiful woman in the window, standing defiantly, surveying the men below her. He suspected she owned the place because he saw the hatred blazing in her eyes. She suddenly whipped around, like something had caught her attention, and moved from her place in the window. Jack decided he'd offer his services and save her. Jack smiled wickedly in the night at the thought of how she might repay him. He hauled his weight onto a convenient trellis and climbed, swearing at the roses that stabbed his skin. He finally made it to the lit up window and nearly toppled over when he saw the number of people in the room. Four men, armed to the teeth, and more women, one of whom was yelling and cursing quite profusely. The beautiful one was holding a poor girl's hand, the one that was swearing to make a pirate proud, and it was then he saw she was not only wearing breeches but traditional Captain's garb at that. He assumed the discarded tricorn was hers, as well as the deep purple overcoat. He knocked on the window, and, not surprisingly, found six or eight pistols pointed at his head. He gently pushed open the window, making sure his hands were visible at all times. He slid into the room easily, his hands in the air and an unmistakable smile on his face.

Charlie did a double take at the stranger who was now standing in her bedroom. She knew who he was, of course, so she waved her hand to call her men down. They lowered their weapons slowly, clearly not trusting the stranger. Charlie didn't trust him either, but she knew she could handle him.

"Now, you look like a smart lad, so tell me why you're in my room" Charlie asked easily, her dagger drawn from places unknown.

"Ya see, luv, there's a whole hell of a lot of pirates down stairs waiting to kill me and anyone else they fancy, namely you. I thought I'd come and help so you didn't have to fight them all on your onesies, savvy?"

"Well, Jack, there's a whole hell of a lot of pirates up here wanting to kill you, so I think you'd best take your chances with Barbossa. Savvy?"

Jack smirked as he heard his name. He was still well known. He swelled slightly and looked this woman up and down. She was a good head shorter than him, but he could tell she was a capable captain. He tried to smile charmingly, but due to where his thoughts were, it came off as suggestive. He saw her move forward and assumed she was going to slap him, so it took him by surprise when her fist connected with his stomach.

"Don't ever look at me like that again, or you'll suddenly lose your pride and joy." She whispered in his ear. Her dagger flicked below his belt and then to his chest where she indicated his compass. His hand went instinctively to his most prized possession, and it was then that he found himself on the floor.

Charlie had pushed the intruder away, nodding to Jason, and knelt beside Mary.

"Come on, luv, one more push!" she said and Mary scrunched her eyes shut. She let out an ear piercing shriek and suddenly a new wailing was heard. Pip appeared from between Mary's legs again, grinning from ear to ear. She washed the baby and swaddled it, handing it to Charlie. Charlie took one look at the child and handed it to Mary.

"Here you go, Mare, your baby girl" Charlie said softly. Mary breath caught as she looked at the pink bundle wailing in her arms.

"It's a girl?" she questioned disbelievingly, tears running down her face. Charlie nodded and Mary smiled, placing the little girl to her nipple.

"Welcome to the world, little angel." She whispered.

Jack had never seen anything so amazing in his life. This deadly beauty had been threatening him one second and swaddling a baby with love and care the next, but the whole birth also had him dumbfounded.  It was obvious the girl was in a great deal of pain, yet the look of pure joy on her face was unmistakable.  How could one love something that brought them so much pain?  Jack was ripped from his philosophical thoughts when he heard the crash downstairs. 

"They've breeched the door" Jack stated the obvious, drawing his own pistol and cutlass, "and if I may be so bold, I suggest we leave."

"Jason, take everyone and get them to the boat.  I'm staying" Charlie ordered, replacing the dagger and removing a solid silver pistol with an ivory handle from her waistband.

"No, Charlie, that's suicide" Jason protested.  Pip had retrieved her cutlass from the couch and kept her eyes locked on the door.

"Follow your Captain's orders!  Take Mary and the baby and get to the ship.  We'll meet you there, but you have to go." Pip spoke up, but Jason made another attempt to change their minds.

"Now!" Charlie and Pip chorused, making the men jump.  Jack moved closer to the two females. 

"What the bleeding hell are you still doing here?" Charlie demanded, her eyes never leaving the door, her ears straining to hear the slightest sound of people approaching. 

"I told ye- I'm here to help, luv" He smiled warmly, momentarily disarming Charlie.  She hadn't expected anything genuine from this man- he was a philanderer and a pirate, a combination that not only made him untrustworthy, but publicly untrustworthy.  Charlie pulled another pistol, identical to the one she already held, and pointed it at Jack's temple. 

"This isn't your fight- now leave."

"Hold on a tick, luv!  This is my fight.  Barbossa made my men mutiny and took away my Pearl!" Jack nearly whined, thinking about his beautiful ship and all the trouble he had gone through to get her back. 

"Jack- go help Mary and the babe.  They need you more than we do" Charlie stated, her pistol moving back to the door. 

"No, luv.  They've got plenty of help- but its only you two up here."

"This charity wouldn't be because we're women, would it?" Pip asked, her eyes flashing as dangerously as her sword. 

"Not at all, poppit!  I'd do this for any fellow pirate against Barbossa."  Jack answered, and Charlie decided he might as well stay. 

"Fine, but don't expect me to drag your arse to safety if you get hurt" Charlie muttered.  Her heat bunched with fear as she heard her men pounding up the stairs.

"We lost the inn, Pip" Charlie said evenly, only Pip being able to decipher the true meaning behind the words.

"Not by a long shot, Charlotte.  Like Jack and his Pearl, we'll get the inn back."  Charlie smiled sadly at the words. She had put her heart and soul into this place.  She had rescued it from being condemned, and everyone thought she was crazy.  But, slowly and surely, it had become the masterpiece it was today.  It was more than just an inn- it was their home. Charlie pushed the melancholy thoughts away and focused on the sounds. 

The door burst opened with such force that Jack thought a cannon had been shot through it.  Twelve people entered, almost an equal split between men and women, and all of them pointed their weapons at the door.  Jack was surprised at how military this crew seemed to be. 

"Ready men?!  Mercy is for the weak!" Charlie shouted

"Death is for the traitors!" the crew cheered. 

Charlie swallowed her fear as she heard her inn being ravaged.  It made her blood boil to think Barbossa was putting his filthy hands on her things.  Her hand clentched tighter on the blade at the thought, and took these few seconds of reprieve to think of that she was going to do to the bleeding bastard when she got her hands on him.  Her fingers itched to be around his neck, and she almost smiled when the door burst open, framing the villainous pirate in the doorway. 

"Lilli, luv, what a nice surprise!"

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Wow!  I didn't even see that one coming.  J 

It's that lovely time of day when you click the nice purple button and tell me what you think!

Cheers 

~Ro