A/N: I've just had an epiphany. I now know the entire rest of the story, the character that will be added in who has an effect on the last act, the ending, up to the epilogue! It just came to me. I'm so happy right now, and it's perfect. Not to worry, however, I'm sure it will take me a few more chapters to get to the end. But I promise you guys will like it. Eeeeeeek i'm SO happy =))))))))))))). This is going to be the ACTION! Chapter. Lovely!

Chapter 19: Nathan

The mood on the Black Pearl that afternoon was anxious and excited. Looking at the faces of the crew, the captain, and Juliet, you could practically feel the nervous energy floating in the air. Juliet was hyped up and energized, Jack was quiet and aloof at the helm, and the crew wandered about the deck trying to occupy themselves. Night was looming on the horizon, along with the island that was their destination. Jack was fully immersed in steering, completely concentrated on keeping the ship on the exact path he had plotted. He was guiding them to the left end of the island, near the camps that were hidden in the forest on that side.

The island was lengthy and rather narrow, about three miles long and a mile across. On each end, there was a large, thick cluster of trees, one side housing the camp of Conway and his crew. The other side was quiet, and, as Jack had predicted, the side Conway thought they would dock at. Conway and the majority of his crew crouched beneath some bushes on the outskirts of that forest, watching the horizon for the Pearl. He had left five crew members behind, watching the tent that Jacquelyn was in.

About an hour later, the Pearl, still unseen, had reached the left side of the island and silently docked. The crew was assembled in the middle of the deck, Jack and Juliet tightly encircled by them. Together, they relayed the plan, and then took most of the crew ashore with them. They were to approach the camp silently. They would conduct a surprise attack to wipe out whatever crew members had been left there, and then they would attempt to obtain Jackie without being noticed by Conway. It would be a lovely surprise for him when he got back.

Jack and Juliet led their crew through the thick forest towards the sound of voices and the cackling of a campfire. Poking his head through a bush, Jack found exactly what he was looking for-- five burly men sat around a campfire in front of a small tent, guzzling bottles of rum. They were fairly drunk, which would certainly make their plan easier. However, seeing them incredibly intoxicated worried him. He worried about the way Jacquelyn was being treated there, and vowed that if there was even a scratch anywhere on her body, not one soul on that island would survive.

Jack pulled his head back through the bush, and turned to Juliet and the crew.

"Alright, all we have to decide is how we sneak up on 'em. I think the best way would be to lure them to us, and take them out while they're off-guard and unaware, as soon as they reach the edge of the trees. Then, we go retrieve Jacquelyn, plant this lovely little device..." He tapped a small unlit explosive that was hanging in his jacket pocket. "And then we make a run for it back to the Pearl, because trust me, mates, we won't want to be here when it goes off. Savvy?" The crew nodded and Juliet smiled. "Now, what's our bait going to be?"

Jack scanned the faces of the crew, then noticed Juliet's grin. "I've got it covered," she stated matter-of-factly. "They'll be right over, stay quiet, be ready..." Juliet stood up and walked towards the bush that Jack had poked his head through; it was right at the edge of the forest but still covered in the shadows of the trees. She ran her hand through her hair and flipped it around, then turned and gave a thumbs-up to Jack and the waiting crew.

"Hello?" she cooed extra-femininely, as she walked back and forth by the bush. "Excuse me, gentlemen? I'm ever so lost... Do you think you could offer me a tent for the night?"

The drunken men at the campfire looked up and spotted her form near the bush. They all grinned lopsidedly, staring at her and laughing with each other. Juliet was happy that her expression of contempt and disgust was blurred by the darkness.

"'Ello, little missy!" One of the men called to her as he stood up and motioned for the rest of them to do the same. "'Course we can offer you a place to sleep, provided that it's with one of us!" They laughed drunkenly and stood around the campfire, staring at her.

"But of course!" she replied flirtatiously. "You're ever so attractive, gentlemen! But... do you think you could come and retrieve me? I can hardly see where I'm stepping and I don't want to get myself hurt..." She giggled girlishly as the men immediately strode towards her. Incredibly discreetly, she backed up at the same pace they were moving, until she was standing next to Jack. It was pitch black where they were waiting, but she could tell it was him, because- well, just because she could.

"You ready?" she whispered in his ear.

"Always." Jack's gold teeth shimmered in the darkness as he smiled.

"Oh, boys, I'm right over here, there you are, I can see you now! Oh just a bit closer, you're almost here!" The men were only about five yards away from her now, and they still couldn't see her.

"Where are ya, pet?"

At that moment, she unsheathed her cutlass and stepped forward.

"Oh, I'm right here sweetheart." With that, she thrust her cutlass forward, straight through the leading man's stomach. With a quiet moan, he fell to the ground, and Jack, along with the rest of the crew, attacked the other four men, quickly producing the same results, and leaving a clear path to the small tent by the campfire.

Inside the tent, Jacquelyn sat in a dark corner as she had been instructed, though she was having a very hard time keeping still. She had her eyes fixated on a spider on the top of the tent, tracking it's every move. Near the flap of the tent sat a fairly young boy, no more than about fourteen years old. He had heard some muffled yells outside, so he stealthily opened it, just enough for a peek outside. Seeing a lantern flicker in the woods just beyond the tent, a mix of emotions raced through him. It could be his father-- that loathsome, foul man, returning with his newfound captives, Jacquelyn's parents and their crew. Or, he hoped, it could be someone else, who, he wasn't sure, but someone besides those indignant fools that had been left to "keep watch."

"Nathan," Jacquelyn whispered from the corner. "When are you going to start counting?" She giggled as she saw the amused look that spread across his face. Thankfully, she didn't catch the fact that this look was mixed with fear. He wasn't sure what to expect, and he certainly didn't want her to get hurt by whoever was on their way to the camp.

"We're gonna play a new game Jackie. You have to see who can stay quiet the longest, no matter what happens, you can't make a noise. Okay?" He gave her a pleading look, hoping she would want to "play." Jacquelyn nodded excitedly at the prospect of a more challenging game and covered her mouth with her hands and closed her eyes. Just as Nathan turned back to the flap, a head popped in! Juliet's head to be exact. Instinctively, because he didn't recognize the woman, Nathan lashed out grabbed her by the shoulders, throwing her to the floor of the tent. He silently leaned down and pulled her hands behind her back before she had time to react. She groaned a little and lifted her head to look around, but was met with Nathan growling venomously in her ear.

"Who are you?" he snapped loudly. As soon as he raised his voice, he regretted it, because not only did a fierce-looking man step inside the tent, but Jacquelyn also opened her eyes and shouted, "You lost, Nathan!" That changed everything. The man quickly stepped beside Nathan, restraining him far too easily for his own liking, and the woman on the floor sprang up and stared gleefully at Jacquelyn.

"Don't touch her!" Nathan warned, glaring at the man and woman in the tent. Suddenly, a resounding squeal of "Mommy!!!" filled the tent as Jacquelyn jumped on the woman, wrapping her arms around her neck. Tears of joy ran down the woman's cheeks as she turned to Nathan, still clutching Jacquelyn in her arms.

"Don't worry, my name is Juliet. I'm Jacquelyn's mother, as you can now probably tell. Jack, release him," Juliet said pointedly to the man behind Nathan. He shot Nathan a distrustful glance, but released his grip nonetheless. Juliet then continued, "Who are you, boy, and what is your involvement with the capture of my daughter?"

"My name is Nathan Conway," he began a bit shakily, but kept his composure, though they were both staring daggers at him as soon as he stated his name. "I wasn't involved in her capture in the slightest, miss, I've only been put in her charge by my father. I've kept her safe and away from my father and his malicious crew over her time in this camp and on our ship. I've done nothing to harm her in any way, I assure you."

A smile spread across Juliet's lips as she considered this, and she set Jacquelyn back down. The boy was very well-spoken for his age. Jack decided to take the initiative and get everyone moving, because it would not be long before Conway and his men would respond to all the noise.

"Well, this is all lovely, but we'd best get ourselves going. You're coming with, boy, whether you like it or not," Jack said to Nathan, who now had a look somewhere between anger for being ordered around and excitement over leaving. "I can't leave ye here to tell your da' where we've gone off to. Poor bastard has no idea what's waiting for him. Let's get us moving, aye?"

Juliet nodded her head twice, Jacquelyn nodded emphatically, making herself look like a complete maniac, and Nathan gave a curt nod. The boy was much more agreeable to leaving than Jack had expected when he saw him. He might actually be rather useful on board, Jack thought.

Juliet led the way out of the tent, greeting the men that waited outside the tent with a grin, and advised them to keep quiet and move swiftly. Nathan stepped out next, following in Jacquelyn and Juliet's direction. Jack was last. He left a small piece of parchment on the desk inside the tent, and then pulled put his pistol, racing towards the rest of his party. On the way, he dropped the small explosive into their burned out campfire, smiling at his own brilliance. He announced himself as he caught up with them, striding behind Nathan. Nathan noticed how close Jack was to him, and began walking faster. Jack did too. Nathan spun around, only to find himself looking into the barrel of a loaded pistol.

"Just for precaution, son. I can't have ye running away, now can I? Just know it's here, don't try anything." Jack looked at him sternly, clearly stating his authoritative position with only the look in his eyes. Nathan nodded and began to turn back to the front, then turned around to face Jack again.

"Why are you taking me with you? You could have shot me in the tent so you wouldn't have to take the chance," Nathan challenged, curious about the answer he would receive.

"Are you advising me that was a mistake?" Jack inquired, cocking his pistol and aiming it at Nathan's forehead. "Son... I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. Savvy?" Nathan quickly nodded his head and turned fully around, falling back into line behind Juliet. He couldn't help but grin as he pondered his destination.

I'm sailing under Captain Jack Sparrow.

.....................................

A/N: I wanna sail under Captain Sparrow. Multiple meanings could be derived from that. Take your pick. I love Nathan, what do you guys think? More will be explained about him in the next chapter, such as why he hates his father, etc. You'll love my plans for him too. And my plans for Conway. And for Jack and Jules. Heh, I like my plans for everything. I'm very sad to say that I'm nearing the end of this story. Probably no more than four or five more chapters, but you never can tell, eh? But what a lovely end it'll be.Thanks so much for reviewing!

Deynaianbloom: don't we all? Yes, I think you'll like the ending verrrry much, it seems like it should fit to me... I like blue too. And red sometimes. But, as anyone who writes potc fics should, I love jack best of all. =)

Dawnie7: "Courage is found in unlikely places." But no courage required on my part, lol. It's actually good, because my dad's an editor, so he catches pretty much all my mistakes. Thanks so much for telling me about that script, it sounds awesome! It sure seems their plan has worked, no? You now have permission to uncross your fingers. =) they must be a little stiff after having them crossed for a week... hehe.