Chapter Five

I gradually opened my eyes and smiled. I had slept surprisingly sound, though I couldn't figure out why. I sat up in bed and stretched my arms, and yawned in a rather un-ladylike fashion. I then rubbed my eyes to wake myself up more, and as I removed my hands from my face I spotted something a dark brown that stood out against the soft cream of my blankets.

I reached towards the, thing, and poked it quickly with my forefinger before retreating. It didn't move, and I concluded that it must not be alive, Thank goodness... I reached for whatever it was again, but this time I picked it up.

A hat? It was what seemed to be a captain's hat, but not one of the Queen's Navy, but a pirate captain hat. I felt the smooth material of the hat, realizing that it wasn't anywhere near new. I suddenly noted a new scent that wasn't normally in my room, a mixed scent of sea water, and what was it... rum.

I gasped and dropped the hat, remembering the previous night's events. That pirate was in my room? I thought to myself, horrified. Then I remembered how I had gotten to my room last night, he had carried me. How dare he? I thought dangerously, my horror still growing, and then at that moment, I remembered his smile, and his gently touch. And he didn't hurt me... I searched my mind for reason to this, but couldn't find any, except for the unlikely, impossible, thought that he was being kind from his heart. Impossible... I thought to myself. He's a pirate, there's no such thing as kindness for them. I finished bitterly and got out of my bed, dropping the hat on the floor.

I quickly dressed myself in one of my dresses that weren't covered in frills and lace, one of my favorites still. The dress was a dark maroon with sleeves that only went mid-forearm, and required no corset, something that appealed greatly to me. I had never liked corsets, and nearly everyday since I had gotten to Port Royale, Elizabeth had stuffed me into one, making it near impossible to breath. Another of my favorite traits of the dress was that, as it moved, the shades of maroon seemed to change, like waves on the ocean.

When I finished getting dressed I started towards the door, I laid my hand on the knob to turn it when I stopped, turned around, and picked up the hat. I could give it to Will or Elizabeth, I planned, they could get it back to him. So, hat in hand, I started towards the door again, this time opened it, and walked outside my room.

I froze the moment I stepped out of my room. "Pirates..." I breathed. All where I could see was in ruins, tables turned over, pictures on the floor, priceless vases and other glasses, shattered and irreplaceable. I only hesitated for a moment before running back into my room.

I threw open my wooden chest that was full of my things from England, as well as my other precious things. I had no time to change into my breeches, but I still pulled out a pair of boots that Elizabeth referred to as "men's" boots and tugged them on my feet after removing my lady-like "proper" shoes. I then pulled out a belt and then my sword. I quickly put the belt on, and then smiled at the sword, knowing I could easily use it if I needed to. I sheathed it, closed the chest, and started towards the door. I stopped mid-step when a folded bandana caught my eye.

It was a deep maroon, almost like my dress, and inside was a shiv, or a small dagger. I eyed it suspiciously, knowing it didn't belong to me, but at that moment I heard a high pitched scream from somewhere in the house, which made up my mind quickly. I shoved the shiv into my boot, the bandana between my dress and my belt. I knew I probably looked like a mad women, but I had no time for looks right now, there were pirates loose. Probably the crew of that half-drunk moron, I thought cooly as I picked up his hat and ran out of my door, probably can't even control his own crew. I smirked to myself, but the smirk quickly disappeared when I felt the hat grabbed out of my hand.

"Hey!" I turned around to see who had grabbed the hat from me, and then gasped when I saw who it was.

"Thank you, luv." Jack smiled as he placed the hat on his head. "You saved me a trip back to you're room, how thoughtful."

I glared at him the same way I did last night, and I saw his smile grow.

"What's going on?" I asked, getting annoyed by his cocky attitude.

"Pirates." he said simply and started walking away, and I noted a constant sway.

"Are they still here?"

"No."

"Where are they?"

"They went back to their ship."

"They're not yours?" I said as I struggled to keep up with Jack's long and frequent strides.

"Were."

"What?"

"They were."

"What do you mean were?" I asked, now getting extremely agitated at Jack's vague answers.

Jack suddenly turned around and looked me straight in the eye, his smile now gone. "D'you ever hear of a mutiny, Jane?"

"It's Miss Swann, to you, and of course I've heard of a mutiny." I said, my irritation still growing. It seemed my words humored him, as his smile returned to its normal spot, and he began to walk at his previous pace.

"It's been taken care of though." he said after a moment, apparently finishing off what he started to say before.

"Then why were they here?"

"They needed something, they came and got it."

"What did they get?"

"What they needed."

I clenched my jaw. "What did they need then?"

"Certain people."

"Who?"

Jack turned around again, but didn't stop, he knew he was annoying me, and he seemed to be enjoying it. "You know luv, you're quite cute when you get all flustered."

"Thank you." I said without thinking, and Jack smiled again. "I mean, who did they need?"

Jack started walking again, much to my disadvantage, as I was getting tired quickly between trying to keep up with Jack's quick step and his doubtful answers. "Who ever is in there way."

"Who would that be then?"

"Who would who be?"

"Jack!"

"Me?"

"NO!" I stopped walking and tried to control my temper. "Who is in the pirates' way then?" I said slowly. I now realized that Jack had taken me away from my home, and we were now standing somewhere near the docks. I saw Jack stop walking in front of me, turn around and come back towards me.

"I am."

"What?" I said, now completely confused.

"The pirates are after me, but because they knew they would never got to me, they decided to gather who they knew I would have to go after, so then they could trap me, and then get who they needed, savvy?"

"What?" I breathed. Jack only smiled and started walking again, though not as fast. I followed him, and thought about what he had said. After I realized what he meant, I asked him yet another question. "Who did they get then, that they knew that you'd come after?"

"Will and Elizabeth." he said easily, as if we were just discussing in a casual conversation.

"What?" I asked, my voice suddenly higher than usual.

Jack stopped walking again and looked at me with what looked like concern in his eyes, Probably fake though, I thought to myself. "Are you alright luv?"

"No I'm not!" I nearly yelled, and he looked slightly taken aback, but only for a moment. "Do you know what you just said meant to me? The two people I know the best were kidnaped by pirates, and a drunk is supposed to save them? Oh that is very reassuring." Jack's eyebrows raised and I could clearly see amusement in his eyes, but he kept quiet. "What's going to happen to them?" I said a little quieter.

"Not sure about that part." he said as he started walking again, I sighed and started after him again. "I've figured out almost the rest of their plan, which isn't very creative, but that's the only spot I haven't worked out. I'm surprised that they got this far without ol' Barbossa really." he looked at me over his shoulder and smiled, "They're not a very bright crew without him. I mean, if I knew that one of me crew once dated a eunuch, I'd be worried." Jack laughed softly and quickened his pace.

"Wha–" I started to ask, but decided I really didn't want to know.

"What was that luv?"

"Never mind."

Jack shrugged and kept walking, and his pace seemed to grow faster every second, it was either that, or mine was getting slower. When Jack finally stopped, I saw that we were on the beach, and I could see a rowboat a couple of yards from where we were standing.

"Now luv, you've heard the story, and you know what's going on, so you can go run back to you're uncle and you're husband-to-be and leave me with my ship and my crew so I can go you're precious lovebirds don't get hurt, savvy?"

"How do you know about that?" I said softly.

"That you're getting married?" Jack smiled, "Will told me after you fell asleep last night, told me all about your little scene. I looked away out of embarrassment, and then an idea came to me.

"Take me with you."