Disclaimer: Still don't own Jack, Ana, Norry or anything else you may recognize.

A/N: Thank you so much for all of the great reviews. One short note: I realize that Chris' didn't give a satisfactory explanation to Ana, yet. Don't worry, he will. That said, on to the next chapter.

Chapter Six:

"Captain, think you better come on deck, sir," Daniels said. "We've got company."

Sparrow nodded, snatched a telescope from the desktop and hurried from the cabin. Prescott lingered for a moment. Running his finger along the edge of the desk, he recalled the dozens of times that a midshipman had entered this same cabin, out of breath, asking if he would please come on deck. He had gone up to see storms, land, and enemy ships. He had gone up to see triumph, to see defeat and to see death. In those days, if he had been told that he would one day sit in this cabin with a pirate, he would have been unable to contain his laughter. He would have laughed even harder had he been told that his little sister's husband would someday become a pirate.

Captain Christopher Laffley had been in command of HMS Intrepid ever since his was twenty years of age. He was one of the youngest men ever put in charge of one of His Majesty's frigates. Prescott had never really been friends with Chris, nor did he always approve of the way he ran his ship. But, the Intrepid always got results. No one could argue with Chris' record for success. True, he gambled with his ship, not to mention the lives of her crew, but in the end, every gamble paid off.

Any quarrel Prescott might have ever had with the man was forever set aside on a winter afternoon almost six years ago. Since their father had just passed away, Chris had asked Prescott for permission to marry his little sister. He had not courted Annie for very long, but whenever she spoke of Chris there had been a light in her eyes. Chris seemed to make her forget the loss of her parents and their brother Findley. He never once commented on her dark skin or made her feel like the trash that most of the town thought she was. Prescott had given his blessing and even went so far as to help Chris find the perfect spot to propose. Only a few months later, Prescott gave Annie away in a white church and listened from the front pew as Captain Laffley promised to love her forever.

"Excuse me, sir," Daniels had reappeared in the cabin. "Capt'n asks if you'd join 'im on deck."

Prescott furrowed his brow. Why in the world would Sparrow want him crowding the quarterdeck? Misgivings aside, he nodded and followed Daniels.

"Thought this might interest you, mate," the pirate captain said once Prescott stood next to him. Sparrow was looking through the telescope at a speck of something that Prescott could barely see. "I know all of the pirate ships in these waters, but this one . . ." Sparrow paused and held the glass out to Prescott. "If you would be so kind?"

Taking the telescope from the pirate, Prescott found the vessel in question. She was painted blue and gold in the long standing tradition of the English Navy. He could feel a lump forming in his throat as he took in the sails, the guns, and the make of the ship. True to form, whenever he thought that things could not possibly get worse, fate decided to throw in more complications.

"Know 'er?" Sparrow asked as Prescott lowered the glass.

He nodded. "That's the Interceptor. . . . James Norrington's ship."

88888

Putting her hands to her face, Ana slumped down on the bed in the tiny cabin. She did not know what she had expected Chris to say. She did not know that any explanation could have made up for the two years she had grieved for him. Still, he could have tried. The least he could have done was made something, anything up to tell her.

"Can I get you anything, Miss?" Doyle Matthew's had showed her back to the cabin and still stood in the door.

Ana cocked her head to one side. "Have any rum, Mr. Matthews?"

His green eyes widened as though she had asked for a string quartet. "What?"

"What!" Ana repeated. "Don't tell me I've found the only pirate who hasn't heard of rum."

He shook his head. "Sorry, I-I . . . There's some under the bed."

Reaching beneath the poor excuse for a bed, Ana found the bottle she had been seeking. "How did you know that?"

Doyle raised his eyebrows and shifted his weight, suddenly not able to meet Ana's gaze.

"Oh, I see," Ana said. "This is your cabin, isn't it? You had to give it up for me."

"T'was my pleasure," he said quickly.

"Sure it was. I'll bet you have to sling a hammock with everyone else now, don't you?"

He nodded.

"Is that your pleasure too?" Ana uncorked the bottle and took in the liquor's spicy scent. She remembered the very first time she had smelled the unforgettable aroma. Unconsciously, her hand went to the tiger eye pendant that Jack had given to her.

"Just following orders, Miss."

Ana rolled her eyes. "Of course. Well, a toast then." She raised the bottle. "To the infallible Captain Laffley." The rum assaulted her taste buds and burned her throat. "Join me?" she offered Doyle the bottle.

"I don't think so."

"No. No, it wouldn't do for you to go against the almighty captain's wishes."

"Miss, 'e's a very good capt'n." Matthews seemed to be a bit uncomfortable by Ana's open contempt for his commanding officer.

Ana let another swallow of rum glide towards her stomach. She smiled sadly, remembering all of the stories Chris had told her about being at sea. "He always was a good captain. It was the husband part that never seemed to suit him."

88888

"James Norrington," the pirate repeated the name. "That would be the same James Norrington that tried to hang me during our last meeting?"

Prescott nodded. Now, he knew things could not get worse. The Interceptor was built for speed. James would be upon them any second. The Loyalty had fewer guns. If they fought, and Prescott could ever forgive himself for firing on his countrymen, he would die surrounded by pirates. He could try to reason with James, but to say that their relationship had been strained since Jack Sparrow had visited Kingston would be a vast understatement.

Flashback

"Going to make your report, James?" Prescott asked from the window of his carriage. He had been on his way to give his statement to Admiralty concerning the happenings of the past few days, when he had spotted James walking the same direction.

"Yes."

"Headed that way, myself. Care for a ride?"

Norrington nodded. "Thank you," he said once they were underway. "Have you already made your report?"

"I have not. I'm to go in after you, as I was the senior officer present during the event."

Prescott had never been fond of men who flaunted their rank in front of their friends. But, this was a unique situation. He and James had just witness the death of a Spanish noble and the escape of a "dangerous" pirate. A pirate that Annie had decided to help.

James had always been a "by the book" officer and that book said that Annie was guilty of treason. By all accounts, she should hang from the end of a rope right next to the pirate. If James reported the events of the past few days exactly as they had occurred, then Prescott would have to watch his sister die in the town square. Prescott knew his duty to Admiralty just as well as Norrington, or any other officer, but he would be damned before he let his sister pay the price for following her heart and doing what was right.

"What are you going to tell them?" James asked, nervously. He was sitting opposite Prescott in the carriage, but was unable to meet the other officer's eyes.

Prescott knew James would not be able to go long without voicing that question. That man put his duty before almost every aspect of his life. However, Prescott knew that besides his duty to King and Country, James felt he had a duty towards Annie. Norrington had been first lieutenant aboard the Intrepid. He had been on deck during the storm that claimed the life of Annie's husband. Since he was a man of honor, James had always felt a bit guilty and a bit responsible for Annie's safety. He did not want to see her hang either.

"I'm going to tell them the truth," Prescott responded calmly.

"The truth?"

"Of course. I will tell them that Don Cornado was an incompetent man who lost control of his prisoner, lost control of himself and threatened my sister's life. When we asked him to stand down, he became agitated and so had to be killed."

James leaned forward in his seat. "We both know that isn't the whole truth."

"It is the only truth," Prescott warned, his voice low and his expression hard. He stared levelly at James, daring him to disagree.

"Are you asking me to lie to Admiral Fornin?"

"It is not a lie. It is simply what happened."

"But – "

"James, I do not wish to make this unpleasant, but may I remind you that I have held my commission much longer than you. I served as a lieutenant on Admiral Fornin's flagship. I took a bullet for him. I have been invited to his home for Christmas for nine years. If you wish to make this a battle of your word against mine, I will win."

End Flashback

"The very same one," Prescott said after a few uncomfortable seconds spent reliving his last conversation with James. His actions were unscrupulous, but he did what had to be done to protect the only family he had left.

"Thought so," Sparrow said. "Mr. Daniels, call the hands to quarters."

"Hands to quarters. Aye, sir," Daniels answered.

"Belay that," Prescott halted the pirate.

Sparrow's head snapped around. He shot Prescott a glare that had enough force to send him to his grave. "I'm sure you 'ave a very good reason for saying that, Captain Tarret, but my patience to 'ear it is limited."

Prescott moved closer to Sparrow so that no one could overhear. "I do not doubt your valor nor the ability of your men, but I know this ship and I know that ship," he said pointing to the Interceptor. "She's faster to say nothing of the fact that we are out manned and out gunned."

The pirate's black eyes were hard and cold. "Well, you've ruled out runnin' and fightin.' What would you like to do, invite them for tea?"

Prescott rolled his eyes. "You kept my Madeira. Did you keep anything else from my cabin?"

"Your sea chest, but I fail to see 'ow that relates to your bloody friend Norrington."

"I have a uniform in my sea chest."

"Good to know, mate."

"Did you keep any of the rest of the uniforms."

The pirate raised an eyebrow, apparently starting to see where Prescott was going with his line of questions. "Aye, always needin' new clothes for the men."

"Fine. Get them below and have them change. Don't let anyone up top unless they look like the Navy's finest."

Sparrow crossed his arms. Following orders was not apparently his strong suit.

"Look, Sparrow," Prescott started. "James was well on his way to Port Royal when you stole my ship."

"Commandeered, mate."

"When you liberated her from His Majesty's service," Prescott said. Sparrow nodded. "James has no idea that I was assigned to a new ship. He might not even know that this one was taken. Only catch is, you'll have to stay out of sight."

Sparrow's eyes narrowed.

"No offense, Captain," Prescott said, "but James will recognize you in a heartbeat."

The pirate did not like Prescott's plan, that was evident in his expression. Clearly, he did not want to leave the ship under the command of anyone else, even if it was only temporary. But Jack Sparrow was not a fool. He knew that the plan was sound and that trusting Prescott may be his only chance.

"Mr. Daniels," Sparrow called. "Get below, and find all those navy uniforms. We're puttin' on a masquerade."

Daniels shot a glance at Prescott, "aye, sir." Apparently, Sparrow was not the only man aboard who did not seem to trust him.

"Captain Tarret," Sparrow started, his voice menacingly low. "I don't think I need to say that if I end up in the hold in some fort after all of this, you will live to regret it. Savvy?"

Prescott straightened so that he stood a few inches taller than the pirate. "Look, Sparrow, I don't particularly care for you, but if anything goes wrong with this ruse, I will have to explain to Admiralty what exactly I was doing on a ship full of pirates. Believe me, I want this to work every bit as much as you do."

Sparrow did not reply.

"Besides saving my own hide, I want to see my sister safe. At the moment, I need you and this ship to do that."

"What now, sir?" Daniels had emerged, clad in a very expensive looking lieutenant's uniform.

"Heave to," Prescott answered.

Daniels raised an eyebrow. "What d'ya mean, heave to?"

"We're invitin' the Navy for tea," Sparrow supplemented as he headed down the stairs to his cabin. "Deck is yours, mate. Jus' don't get too comfortable."

Prescott smiled. "Mr. Daniels, heave to, if you please."

TBC

Once again thank you so much for all the great reviews. I am so happy to hear your feedback, so don't forget to let me know how you liked this chapter!