A/n:

Well, I must say that my birthday was quite fun. I got to hang out with my best friend and eat pizza and cake! My grandfather gave me his old laptop (It weighs more than my 20 lb cat…) but we can't find the power cord and the battery isn't working anymore. Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that when I do come across that power cord, I'll be able to update more often!

Whoo!! I'm updating again in just one day! Less than 24 hours!! Yessss!!

Not much more to say here. Now, I'm gonna try something new with you guys. How about every chapter I put in a quote that struck me as something I needed to share. Anyhoo, enjoy the chapter and quote.

Quote:   We must believe in luck. For how else can we explain the success of those we don't like? -- Jean Cocteau

Disclaimer: I do not own much. I don't own Jack, Will, or anything really that pertains to POTC besides the damn DVD. I demand the ownership of Jack! He will be mine!!! MWAHAHAHA!!… Ahem… I apologize for my psychotic moment… It won't happen again… Or will it?

------------- ------------ --------- --------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2: Hiding the Obvious

Rhia got up as the shrill whistle of the kettle reached it's highest. She had been contemplating from her bed all the possible reasons the strange man would be on her beach. Rhia figured she should have her daydreams now before he woke up and surely the scenarios, (which ranged from tradesman caught up in a burglary, to a man who when searching for his true love on a dragon and he suddenly fell from the sky) would almost certainly be obliterated with a small tale of boring 'wrong place', 'wrong time' crap that would have small minded people in rapture. Rhia was most positively, and proudly not one of them.

As Rhia took the kettle off the fire stove, Evan walked out of Stan's room looking a bit taken aback with one eyebrow raised. "Find something interesting, father?" She asked with innocent curiosity.

Evan shrugged and wiped his face of any emotion relating to surprise. "Not really. Grab me my kit, will you please?"

Rhia knew exactly what he was talking about. Ever since she was little she remembered the box of herbs and such that he kept hidden under a board in the floor. From little bruises to infected cuts, he could heal them with natural substances. He kept them hidden because it was considered evil if you were not an official healer to heal somebody.

Rhia pried the floor board open, which was next to her door, and pulled out the dried and fresh herbs that she had picked for him in the forest a night before. Evan eagerly took the box and expertly grabbed just the ones he needed. Over the years she had been fascinated by his knowledge and she picked up the simpler of tasks, one of which he was making this very moment.

Evan didn't use the stronger things and Rhia got a good picture of how much the man's wounds were infected. "He's fine then. Nothing too deep and infected?"

Evan smiled. "Aye. I think he'll be fine tomorrow, that is, if he wakes up."

Rhia gasped. "Haven't you woken him yet?"

"I tried. I think I better not try anymore as a matter o' fact. I don't want him to feel the pain that the wounds most surely would inflict on a conscious soul." Evan drained the bowl of the excess water and looked once more at his daughter. "I want you to do me a favor, aye?"

Rhia nodded in agreement.

"Don't tell anyone about this man. I mean no one. Even if they have good intentions." Evan searched Rhia's face for compliance and found that she was staring at the deep brown table with regret. "Rhiannon…" he warned.

"I'm sorry!" Rhia said exasperated. "It wasn't anyone! Just Middy!"

"Middy?!" Evan roared. "She's probably already informed half the town by now! How could-."

"I didn't mean to!" Rhia interrupted. Of anyone in the town, she was the only person who would dare interrupt Evan. "You need to understand! She was asking questions about why I wasn't going for tea, an-."

Evan raised his hands and cut her off. "Fine." He took a deep breath to calm himself, which worried Rhia. He only did that when he was really upset. Evan steadied himself and stared intently at the table. "Okay. Keep what I'm about to tell you by heart. Every word I need you need to memorize. Got that?"

A feeble nod was all Rhia could muster.

Evan let out a hiss of a breath. "Alright. You are to tell those who ask that he's our… cousin. Traveling from, let's say, Ravenswood. He's just passing through town. And my creative side has just failed me, so just try and keep him away from other's eyes at all costs for now."

Only a slight pause before Rhia dared ask anything. "Why are you taking all this extra precaution with him? Did you find something out?" Rhia was bursting with questions, but her father only shook his head. "Then why-."

"Don't worry about that now. I'm just being careful. We'll know if this is necessary after he wakes up." Evan itched his right arm absentmindedly, obviously deep in thought.

"You know… You should get that poultice on that man's wounds before it gets any worse from infection." Rhia said knowingly.

"You're right. Remember what said though." Evan stood from the table and opened the door to the man's room. "Oh, and Rhia?"

"Hmm?" Rhia was glancing at the man that she could see through the crack of the door.

"Why don't ye get the payment from the Grant's now. And tell Jake that I won't be making it into work today." Evan didn't wait for a reply and just walked in the room and began applying the herbs.

Rhia slumped her shoulders in a self-display of remorse. She walked out the front door and kicked at a rock in the ground. 'Why today, father? I was having such a good day, and now, Jake?' Rhia shuddered and decided against going to Jake first. He would probably think up some damned reason to accompany her to the Grant's. 'That creep.' Ever since she met him, she got goose bumps on her arms, and she had found over the years that it was due to his high amount of pride and his shamelessly lustful manner around women especially herself. Never around her father, of course. Always he would act in a manner in which he thought was attractive: arrogantly smug and overly boastful about his looks. It made the other girls lust after him, no doubt, but she was just creeped out.

Rhia walked towards the carriage wheel rut laden road that led up to the residential part of town. The sun was out and it kept her in a fairly good mood when she stopped thinking about Jake. 'Maybe I can just avoid him altogether…' Rhia thought. 'I mean, when father doesn't show up, he'll know something came up without the need of me telling him.'

Back at the house…

Evan was teetering on the edge of a panic attack, walking back and forth inside the kitchen. He sat down at the table to try to get a hold of his nerves. Evan put his head in his hands and thought aloud. "You can deal with this. Just think…" He slammed his fist on the table. "Damn it! Rhia might figure it out. Okay, I'll just tell her I know because…" Evan racked his brain. "Damn it, I have nothing!"

Evan heard a groan from the room and held his breath. He walked over to the door and opened it a sliver to see if the man had awoken. After observing for a full minute, he closed the door and sighed. "Just turning in his sleep."

Evan went back to the table and began nervously chewing his nails. "Maybe I should just tell her the truth…"

Back at the road…

Rhia put the small bag of coins in the pocket of her dirty dress and examined a coin she had been given to have for herself. "Never got a tip before." She exclaimed. She began to hum a tune and walk a bit more jovially. A smile even crossed her lips once.

As Rhia made it back to the woods, a whistle sought through the air, directed at her from behind a tree. "Ah, damn it." She said through her teeth.

"Well! Look who it is, my future wife." A man called from next to a tree. He walked over to her and leaned back against another tree with his brown hair sticking to the bark. "I was on my way to see Evan by my self, but this is much better."

"Jake," Rhia said without grimacing. "I was going to tell you back at the shop that he couldn't make it to work."

"How sweet of you." Jake said with an overflow of greasy charm and a big flash of teeth. "I didn't see you at the shop though, and now you're entering the woods to make it home. When exactly were you going to tell me, tomorrow?"

Rhia clenched her fist. "I made it, but you weren't there. You were here, hiding behind a tree."

Jake laughed. "Too true. I saw you heading up to the residential area, so I figured you were getting the payment. And so, I thought that on the way back home I'd surprise you." He seemed a little bit proud that he got out the word 'residential' without tripping over his vocabulary.

"Indeed you did. I told you, and now," Rhia made the conclusion. "You can go back to work."

Jake put his arm around Rhia's waist. "Why don't I walk with you?" He flashed another cheesy smile.

Rhia shuddered. "No. You're going to take your arm off me, and get back to work." She was nearly shaking with anger. 'Talking, I can handle without killing him, but physical contact…'

Jake just grinned and pulled Rhia closer. Rhia slammed her foot down on Jake's and when he let go and cried out in pain, kicked the back of his knee to make him fall. Rhia walked into the woods with a triumphant smile on her face.

Jake just pulled himself up and laughed. "I love a feisty woman."

Rhia ignored that comment and walked on to her house, hoping to every god she ever heard of, that he would not follow. She hid behind a tree and waited five minutes to see if he would follow. After hearing and seeing nothing but a couple squirrels, she resumed walking back home.

When she reached the house, she could see her father walking back and forth through the window. Opening the front door, she saw her father stop dead in his tracks and smile at her. "So, did you tell Jake I couldn't get to work?"

Rhia dropped the bag of coins on the table. "You could say I did that." She said with a mischievous smile.

"Rhia," Evan warned. "You didn't upset him, did you?"

"He deserved what he got." Rhia concluded.

Evan sighed. "I don't know why you dislike him. He's a perfect gentleman."

"Gentleman?!" Rhia asked in near horror. "You should see what he's like when you're not around!" 'Gentleman?!' she thought again. 'If he's a gentleman, then I'm a monkey.'

"Think what you like, dear." Evan picked up the leather bag, which held the coins and began counting them. Rhia walked over to Stanley's room and began opening it. Her father's hand stopped her. "What are you doing?"

Rhia stared up at her father. "Just checking on the poor man."

"He's fine." Evan said and closed the door. Rhia watched her father go back to the dirty table and count money again.

Rhia shrugged and looked out the window. "Past lunchtime." She observed. She looked back at her father in concern. "Hungry?" Evan shook his head and put all the money back in the bag. "I really think you should eat."

"Don't have much of an appetite." He said simply.

Rhia took a small loaf of bread from a wooden box and handed it to her father. "You're going to eat this." She said.

Evan smiled meekly and took the bread. "You're so much like your mother." He split it in half and put the rest back in Rhia's hands. Evan pointed to the door and said, "Don't bother him until he wakes."

Rhia nodded and examined her father's face while putting the half of bread back in the box for later. Noticing the bags under his eyes, she asked, "When did you get home last night?"

"Can't remember." Evan admitted.

"Get some sleep tonight, father." Rhia ordered lightly.

Evan nodded. "Gladly."

------------------ --------------------------- -----------------------------------------

I'm never really that good at ending chapters. This one was a bit longer than the last.

Okay, I thought I wouldn't do this, but here it is:

QUESTION FOR REVIEWERS: Peppermint or Spearmint?

Blackcharityflint – I know! It wasn't even a new rule, just a clarification! It isn't fair. They should have let the ones that were there stay there and just not allow any new 2nd person ones. Hey! Happy Birthday! Very cool that it's the same day! I hope you had fun!

Heavenstar3 – I'll try to update as much as I can! I won't get carried away and update 5 times a day, however cool that would be, but I'll try and update at tha very LEAST once a week. I'm doing pretty good so far, though.

Rachel Sparrow – I don't know. I was thinking about putting them on two different sites, but it would be a hassle. I'm just going to convert them and stuff. It'll take a while to get started because I don't have the computer for very long.

ProudMuggleGirl – She MIGHT be… I just thought a ditzy friend would help some other parts of the story. Thanks a bunch Waldo!!

FalconWing – Thanks so much for reviewing! I always have typos because I type faster than my thought process allows.

Zzzlazy – Hey, thanks. I did have a great birthday and an even better unbirthday today!

Morgan Martin-Jordan – That was really sweet! This review made my day. I was upset, but I know that now I can post my 3rd person version of it and maybe get more reviewers!… Maybe not, but that's cool.

Melody – Glad to hear it! I know this chapter was a bit lacking in action and what not, but in the next chapter, Jack awakens! Yay!!