DISCLAIMER: I think we all know the truth. But for those who want to know, here it is: I do not claim ownership of anything you recognize. They belong to whom they belong and those people know who they are. Savvy?

Summary: For years Jack has kept his darkest secret close beside him. However, he is forced to tell Ana the truth when a mysterious figure confronts Jack and claims to know the answers Jack seeks. J/A. Rating for some violence.

Half-Life

Part 9

Nothing?

Jack allowed his eyes to open a crack and he would have been shocked if he had had the strength. With an inward sigh he closed his eyes once more.

Ana and Nigel stood in a temporary stalemate, the blazing hot tip of the fire poker between them. Nigel was quickly gaining the upper hand and both competitors knew it. Ana forced her strength into pushing him away, but it was no use. He was much too strong.

Nigel twisted the tool-turned-weapon so that the unheated end clubbed Ana on the side of the head. He watched with a sinister smirk as she crumpled over and laid limply on Jack's chest.

Jack's eyes snapped open at the new contact and his gaze fell on the motionless female pirate laying across his body. His attention was quickly diverted to Nigel, who raised the red-hot fire poker and readied to finish Ana off.

Just before the tip could run Ana through, Jack shoved the female pirate as hard as he could with his shoulder and rolled her off the table. As a result, the sharpened tip cut through the ropes holding Jack down and slit the side of the pirate's wrist, but he took no mind of it: he was free.

Gathering his strength, Jack rolled off the side of the table farthest from Nigel and grabbed his sword from the ground before jumping to his feet.

"Very good Jack," Nigel complemented insincerely. "But have you forgotten?" He indicated Ana who was lying motionless at his feet with the tip of his weapon. "She's mine to dispose of as I please now." To emphasize his point, he stabbed Ana roughly in the side with the fire poker and withdrew it.

Jack's anger flared at the sight of his first mate lying dead at the feet of this strange man and he lunged forward, swinging his blade as if his arms had sustained no injury.

Nigel brought his weapon up fluidly, using it as a sword to parry Jack's attacks and make some of his own. The two fought as equals for a good quarter of an hour and each time Jack began to feel his strength waning he thought of Ana and remembered he must avenge her; this gave him strength.

However hard he fought, Jack could not overcome the fact that Nigel was the better fighter. The older ex-sailor was well muscled and far stronger than Jack. Soon Jack found himself backed against an unfinished carriage frame and disarmed, his sword laying in the years of dusty filth several feet away.

"Looks like you have no more lifelines, Jack." Nigel drew back his slowly cooling weapon and thrust it forward, intending to run Jack through and finish his long quest for the infamous pirate's blood.

Instead of delivering a death blow, he felt more than saw his weapon being yanked from his hands and heard the clink of a chain. Jack grinned slyly, twirling the length of chain he now held.

"You always were one to cheat,"

"Pirate," Jack reminded, tossing aside his only weapon—and his only advantage.

Nigel smiled darkly knowing that now the two were hand-fighting he would win without a problem. Jack was already showing signs of having exhausted his stubborn energy and was generally the weaker of the two.

They were engaged instantly, each landing punches and kicks. Nigel's attacks had more force and easily sent the slimmer man reeling. As Nigel lunged in to land a blow once more Jack danced to the side and shoved Nigel forward after thrusting a small knife that he had drawn from his boot into Nigel's shoulder.

When Nigel finally turned back around he was faced with a faintly smirking Jack and the hot fire poker just an inch from his throat. "Sorry mate, but I win," Jack said dangerously, inclining his head in an ironic gesture as he spoke.

"How could you hope to live with yourself after killing your own father?" Nigel inquired with a grin, thinking this new revelation would give him the hesitation he needed to overtake the pirate and kill him once and for all.

"How could you 'ope t' live with yourself after killin' yer own son?" Jack retorted, "I think I'll find a way." Jack showed no sign of being caught off-guard and, wiping all the emotions from his face, he shoved the sharpened tip of the fire poker through Nigel's heart.

As Nigel hit the ground with death-wide eyes Jack felt his last reserves of strength give out. His knees buckled and he collapsed, his head striking against the carriage frame before he hit the ground and laid still, dead to the world.