Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I don't pretend to own anything, I'm using this stuff without permission just for the amusement of anyone that reads this. Don't sue me.

Sorry this one took forever guys! I had really bad writer's block and I haven't been here that much anyway. Thanks for all the reviews! Hope you like this one too...

(End of last chapter: "What would you say... if I told you I knew where to find that map you're looking for?")

Jack immediately moved his sword from its immobile position at his side so it was pressed into the woman's stomach. She looked a little surprised for a moment, but her expression quickly melted into a grin. "I don't think you should be doing that..." she said, not making any attempt at moving away from the blade. "My bad side is the last place you want to be right now."

"I could say the same to you," Jack replied levelly. He was well aware of how this must look, Captain Jack Sparrow being caught off guard and having his life threatened by some strange scruffy pirate lass. "We're square. Now..." He trailed off expectantly.

"I have something that you want," she said simply, uncurling her arm from around his neck to draw her sword. "And I don't take kindly to threats..." With half a smile she removed the dagger from his throat and slipped it into a sheath on the worn leather belt that hung loosely around her hips. "But I do love a good fight. So." Twirling the sword between her fingers, she took a step back to the right of his blade and swung her own. The tip came within an inch of Sparrow's worn coat. Grinning widely, he pushed the sword back with his own and jabbed at her. In seconds their blades were flying.

"So, lass, what's your name?" Jack asked conversationally, as Kit sidestepped a blow and set up for a counterattack. She grinned.

"Not important." She whipped her sword around and a metal-on-metal clash rang out. "But call me Kit."

"Kit?" he repeated, lashing out with his own blade.

"Yes," she replied, gritting her teeth and leaning backwards to prevent herself from receiving a nasty gash on the forehead. "It'll make sense once you get to know me, provided that you live that long."

Jack laughed. "You aren't going to hurt me, love," he said. Kit arched an eyebrow and threw up her sword to block his attack.

"Oh?" she replied, sounding surprised. "What would give you that delusion?"

"You have the map, and you need me to get to the treasure. You won't hurt me because without me you'll never get there."

Kit grinned. "Are you implying that I don't know how to sail a ship, Captain?" She faked a blow to the right and swung to the left as he went to parry, slicing him in the shoulder. "Ah well, it doesn't matter. At any rate, you're wrong about all of it. Or most of it, anyway."

Jack gritted his teeth, his sword cutting fast arcs in the air while Kit parried and dodged. "Really? Well, isn't that interesting." There was a note of sarcasm in his voice. Kit grinned, ducking under a swing and retaliating with a jab of her own.

"Quite. I don't have the map at all, but I do know where to find it, something that you surely never will be able to say if you continue on trying to kill me like this." She grinned and her sword sliced through the air as Jack's flew up to meet it. He didn't answer, but jabbed at her again and the conversation ended as their swords flew and clashed more violently. As Kit stepped forward, Jack grinned and thrust his sword at her face as her own flew up to block it. Satisfied with the distraction, Jack took the opportunity to kick Kit's feet out from under her.

"Bloody hell!" she shouted angrily as she fell to the deck, her sword clattering uselessly away. She reached for it, muttering curses under her breath, but Jack's blade was at her throat. When she realized her situation, she narrowed her eyes and glowered up at him. "Damn you, Sparrow."

Jack was grinning, looking quite unperturbed. "You're not the first to say that, darling, I assure you, and you won't be the last. If this is the only way to subdue you, so be it. The fact is, you've caught my interest, so tell me about this map or I won't hesitate to cut your throat right here."

Kit scowled. "Oh, darling," she said sarcastically, "I don't need to be subdued, you know. If you wanted to know that badly..." She smirked and pushed the blade away from her throat. "You should have picked another way, because I'm not going to tell you and you're not, in fact, going to kill me because then you'll never find it."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Jack said with a sarcastic smirk, pointing his blade back at her throat. Kit eyed it distastefully for a moment, then with a resigned sigh leaned back on her elbows and glanced up at Jack.

"That's all fine and good, but the truth of the matter is that nobody knows where this map is but me," she said, ignoring the irritated scowl he gave her. "The coordinates were on the Viper, but I took the paper, tore it up and threw it into the sea. And now, Captain Sparrow, you are quite stuck with me since I'm not going to tell you what that paper said and you don't have a prayer without the information."

"You did what?!?"

She glanced up at him with the same dull, irritated look that one might have while trying to teach physics to a toddler. "I took it from Barringer's quarters, read the coordinates, tore it up and threw it in the sea. I'm not a bloody idiot, Captain. Given the nature of our first meeting, would you allow me to stay on this ship if you weren't forced to? If I didn't have something worth taking a gamble on? Of course not. By daybreak the Viper and her crew are going to be severely damaged, quite possibly beyond repair. There's almost no hope for them and I knew that from the moment I saw your ship. I have no allegiance to those men, Captain Sparrow. I feel no obligation to go to my death with them. This is my way out, like it or not. Do you think I haven't heard the stories? If anyone can get to this treasure, it's you and your crew." By now she had gotten to her feet and was wiping the blade of her sword on her faded brown breeches while she talked. "Take me with you," she said. "I'll guide you to the map and the treasure, but I won't tell you the coordinates. You'll have to trust me. I'm sure you understand my reasoning. Once we find the treasure, give me an equal share and I'll be on my merry way." She slid her blade back into its sheath and smiled in an almost pleasant manner. "Do we have an accord?"

Jack ignored her outstretched hand and tilted his head back to look at her for a moment, skeptical. "Have you given me any reason at all to trust a single word you just said?" he asked rhetorically, perhaps more to himself than to her. She smirked knowingly at him.

"What does it matter, really? If you want that treasure you don't have a choice. So: do we or do we not have an accord?"

Jack continued to stare at her for another moment, but finally with a somewhat exasperated sigh he shook her hand. "Yes," he said, "We have an accord."

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