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A/N: Thank you so much for the great reviews. I'm glad that you're all still interested in my version of the Jack and Ana saga.

Chapter Two:

"So, what did she say?" Annie was staring at him as their ship glided into Tortuga's harbor.

"Who?" Prescott answered, in a vain attempt to avoid the question.

"Your wife, of course." Now, she was smiling.

"Of course. About what?" Unfortunately, it did not seem that his sister was going to let the question drop.

"About your coming with me?"

"Ah, that."

Flashback

"Tortuga!?" Bridget was a petite woman. She was barely five feet tall and slender from top to toe. Bridget was a beautiful woman. She had long curly auburn hair and eyes as clear and blue as the sea. However, at this particular moment in time, she looked neither small, nor especially beautiful. Instead, Prescott's wife seemed to be towering over him while she screamed, and the situation was quickly becoming very ugly.

"Yes, my love. You see Annie wants –"

"Annie!" Bridget's voice was piercing. "You've been home for less than a week and now you want to go traipsing across the Caribbean with that sister of yours!"

Prescott had only been married about four months, but by now he knew enough not to respond to Bridget's comment. For even though it sounded like a question, no answer he could give would be correct. So, he simply stayed quiet.

"And to Tortuga, no less," she went on. "What in the world is in Tortuga?"

"Well, actually . . ." Actually, Prescott had no reasonable answer for his bride. He could tell her that his little sister had fallen for a pirate and now she would like to continue with the courtship, that would be the truth. However, there are moments in a person's life when the truth is the last thing to say.

"Well, what, Prescott?"

"Well, I, um. I cannot let my sister go to Tortuga without a chaperon. It simply isn't safe."

"Very good. At least we agree on something. But here's a better solution for you, my dear. Don't let her go at all!"

"Yes, my sweet, but actually I tried to talk her out of it – "

"Well, try again!"

"Really, it will just be a very short trip and –"

Bridget was crossing her arms and scowling. Prescott stopped speaking. She certainly looked angry. At least, she wasn't crying. "You see, my dear. I have to go."

He watched as one of Bridget's eyebrows rose.

"I have to go, because, well, . . . because, Annie's fallen in love." No the truth would not do, but a half truth would work just fine. "And . . . and we're going to Tortuga to meet up with her suitor."

"Figures your sister would end up with someone from Tortuga. What is he, a pirate?"

Bridget and Annie never really got along. At best, the two women tolerated each other. Bridget was a "proper" lady from a "proper" family. Afternoon tea, gossiping with the Kingston society, and attending formal balls excited Bridget. Annie broke pirates out of prison. They were not exactly compatible.

"A pirate?" Prescott forced himself to scoff at her suggestion. "Don't be silly dear."

"Well, I wouldn't put it past her."

"That's enough, dear. She is my sister."

"She's your half sister."

"Bridget, I will not listen to anymore of this. I'm going with her and that's final." Prescott stormed out of the room with all the authority and conviction that he could muster.

As soon as he reached the bedroom, he slumped in a chair and leaned his head against it's high back. Bridget would let him go, of course. She had no choice. But he could not stop the nagging feeling repeating in his head: When he got home, he was going to catch hell for this.

End Flashback

"I cannot remember her saying anything remarkable, really." Prescott said. "Just to have a nice time."

Prescott's wife was many things, but a woman of few words she was not. He was lying through his teeth, and Ana had to try very hard not to laugh. "I'll bet that's what she said. What did you tell her we were doing?"

"I told her that you were going to Tortuga to become a working woman."

Ana feigned a hurt look. "You didn't."

"No," Prescott smiled, "but it might've served you right."

"Ha! Are you kidding, she probably would've believed you for all she thinks of me."

"What are you talking about. Bridget adores you."

Again, he was lying. Prescott's wife was civil when it came to spending any length of time with Ana. They could make polite conversation when necessary, but Ana could barely contain the urge to knock Bridget upside the head most days, a feeling which was decidedly mutual. She merely shrugged and let the subject drop. Turning, she gazed out at the other ships docking in the busy port. The vessels were smaller than the frigates that her brother commanded, all save for one that is. Ana smiled widely as she caught sight of the Loyalty. Jack was here.

"Pres, look," she exclaimed, pointing to the ship. "It's Jack's ship."

Her brother rolled his eyes. "It's who's ship?"

"Sorry," Ana said, "I mean it's the ship you so generously let him borrow."

"Borrow indeed."

"Oh, cheer up already. At least, he's here. We can find him quickly, and then you can go back to your beloved."

Grudgingly, her brother nodded his agreement and excused himself to see to their luggage. As she watched him order a man to send their things to the nearest inn, Ana was secretly very happy that Prescott had insisted upon accompanying her. He was able to keep his head in situations like this one. He would not forget about the practical details like finding rooms for the night.

"You know, Pres," she said, stepping off of the pier. "If you keep shelling out orders like that, everyone will know you're from the navy."

"No one here could care less about me," Prescott said, gesturing to the barmaids, drunks and all around shady types crowding Tortuga's streets.

"Alright then," Ana shrugged, "where do we start?"

"Paying for the rooms at the inn."

"We can worry about that later."

"That's what this poor devil said," Prescott said, kicking the leg of a drunk who had passed out in the street.

Ana rolled her eyes. "Well, what if Jack leaves?"

"It will take him awhile to make that ship ready to embark. He cannot possibly sneak away while we're paying the innkeeper."

"How do you know?"

"It's my bloody ship, Annie. I know how long it takes to make her ready!"

"But, he's a pirate. He's used to leaving in a hurry." Ana could not help but want to search for Jack alone. She just could not believe that Jack would kiss her again with her big brother standing next to her. Ever since he had kissed her for the first time, that kiss had colored her dreams. He had kissed her in a way that she had never imagined possible.

Prescott threw his arms up in defeat. "Fine. I'll see about the rooms. You scour the town to your little heart's content."

"Thank you."

"But . . ."

"Oh, I knew that was coming."

"Meet me back here in thirty minutes."

"Fine."

"I mean it, Annie."

"Don't worry so much. If I'm not here you can just assume that I found Jack and we're off . . . pillaging."

Prescott stood silent for a moment, the look on his face reflecting the disbelief he must have been feeling. "I cannot believe you just said that."

Ana laughed as her brother started to walk away.

"Thirty minutes, Annie," he shouted over his shoulder. "It'll take me at least that long to dispel the image of my baby sister . . . pillaging."

Beaming with the satisfaction of momentarily being released from her brother's protective stare, Ana assessed her situation. Judging from the way Jack reacted to the rum Ana had tried to clean his wounds with a year ago, she assumed that the best place to start looking for him would be the taverns nearest to the docks.

"Hey, you there?"

Ana turned to find a woman, barely wearing a red dress and painted with dark make-up, strutting towards her. "Yes?"

"Who's that man you were jus' with? 'E your husband?"

"No."

"Fair game then?"

"Well, he is married," Ana said, ashamed to be thinking that she already liked this uncouth redhead a whole lot better than Bridget.

The woman shrugged. "I didn't see 'er."

"She's not here. She's in Kingston."

A broad smile played across the woman's face. "Fair game then," she repeated, this time the phrase was not a question.

"Do you live here, Miss . . ." Ana started, picturing Prescott trying to escape the attentions of a woman like this one.

"Call me Scarlet, and yes."

"Can I ask you something, then, Scarlet?"

"Sure."

"That ship out there," Ana pointed to the Loyalty. "Do you know who her Captain is?"

"Everyone does. That's Jack Sparrow's ship."

"Any idea where I might find him?"

"Ain't seen him, today," Scarlet said. "But trust me, lady. If you're lookin' for 'is company, don't bother."

"No?"

"Nah. Ol' Jack's got 'imself a lady somewhere else. He don't pay much attention to any o' us anymore."

"No?" Ana smiled inwardly, hoping she was the lady Scarlet was referring to.

"Captain of that ship out there," the woman went on, pointing to a smaller ship made of a reddish wood. "E's quite a looker. Don't know 'is name, but he's across the street there."

"Well, thank you, anyway," Ana said, trying to hide her disappointment.

"No problem . . . I never asked your name."

"Anamaria."

"Well, welcome to Tortuga, Anamaria."

TBC

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