"Uh… Hi?" I muttered, swallowing slightly. The steel blade at my neck was making me quite uneasy.

Captain Jack Sparrow smiled a smile which instilled a trickle of fear into my blood.

"Well, well, well," he drawled,  unable to keep the amusement out of his voice. "Look who's come along for the ride."

"Miss Gateau?" Came the surprised voice of Will Turner.

"Oh, so we're still calling ourselves that, are we?" Jack asked me in a mocking tone.

I gave Jack a perplexed look but put that comment aside for the moment. There were more pressing matters at hand presently, for example, why Jack and Will were in possession of the finest ship the Royal Fleet has to offer. And even more confusing, why is Will in the company of Jack Sparrow?

I turned my head as much as the sword held to my neck would allow to look at Will. He was dripping water onto the deck, as was Jack I noticed, and had the same dishevelled appearance as this morning. He also had the same fierce, determined look in his eyes.

"Will…" I started nervously. "What's going on?"

He opened his mouth but Jack cut in first.

"I'm giving young Mr Turner a lesson in commandeering." He said with a grin. "And you, luv? What is it that you are doing here? Last that was known to me, you were in the company of two very outstanding gentlemen who were escorting you to the Commodore's office, I believe. So how is it that I find you on my boat?"  

"Your boat?" I retorted sarcastically. "I'm afraid you are mistaken, Captain. This here is Commodore Norrington's boat."

"Was, luv. Past tense. And I don't believe that answered my question."

I wanted to tell him what he could do with his question, but I didn't. Firstly because he was holding a very sharp sword to my very exposed neck, and secondly because as we were talking we were wasting time. And I was in no mood to be wasting time when Elizabeth's life was at risk.

"Well, Sparrow, I believe you already know the answer to your question as you certainly didn't mind sharing it with the two redcoats of whose custody I was in. I'm going after Elizabeth."

He let out a laugh and let his sword fall.

"No your not."

"Yes, I am." I said firmly.

"No, luv. It's too dangerous. Especially for the daughter of a Governor." He said the last bit with the hint of a sneer.

"Yes, I know. But I'm still coming along."

 "Look, luv, you have no idea what you are dealing with, so there is no way I can let you come along."

"Hmm… Only wrathful, skeletal pirates on the search for a cursed treasure…" I blinked in surprise. Where did that come from?

Jack's eyebrow arched and he gave me a look mingling between shock and intrigue.

"Fine." He said, handing me a rope attached to one of the masts. "Pull on that" was all he said before directing Will towards another mast.

Wow. That was easier than I thought it would be.

I looked at the rope in my hands, wondering if I should mention that I had never been on any boat that wasn't run by a motor. I jumped a little at the recollection, noting that these people would not have any idea what a motor was. I began to pull the rope. As I did, the sail above was let down, making a white wing which was puffed out by the wind. 

I paused for a moment to admire the beauty of it's flapping form, and that mingled with the feel of the wind lifting my hair and the smell of salt which permeated my nostrils it was not hard to see why so many gave their lives up to a life of the sea.

A pair of hands taking hold of the rope I still held snapped me out of my reverie and I turned to see Will who was busy securing the rope.

I bit my lip nervously, unsure of where I stood with the man. Was he still angry for me saving Jack's life? But if he was, how could he be? After all, it was he who had teamed up with Jack to 'commandeer' this ship.

I coughed lightly to gain his attention. "So, Will, what's the story?"

 "What do you mean?"

"Well, yesterday you were trying to kill Sparrow, now suddenly I find you and him partners in stealing the fastest ship in the Navy?"

Will's features darkened. "I was not about to sit back and forfeit Miss Swann's life to the hands of a bunch of savage pirates and incompetent Naval officers." He said fervently.

"So you break Sparrow out of jail and commandeer this ship? Aligning yourself with a savage pirate whom you despise and tried to kill?"

He looked uneasy. "Yes."

"Miss Gateau," drawled Jack from the helm. "Please enough with your compliments, they go straight to my head."

"I don't doubt that." I muttered.

He either didn't hear or ignored me, and I figured I'd leave the boat …ship sailing up to the professionals and found myself a nice pile of coiled up rope to plump myself down on and tried to relax and enjoy the sun.

I half watched as Will pulled on various ropes under Jack's directions from the helm, but the gentle rocking of the boat mixed with the hot Caribbean sun was enough to lull me into a kind of stupor and eventually I let my eyes drop.

I was in a dark room full of rows of seats. There was a gentle murmur of voices which gradually subsided as the curtains at the front of the room parted to reveal a screen with an image of a ship sailing through the mist. I could hear the voice of a young girl singing. "We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot. Drink up me 'earties yo ho! We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot. Drink up me 'earties yo ho! Yo ho, yo ho a pirate's life for me. We extort, we pilfer, we filch and sack. Drink up -"

A wave crashed against the side of the boat, startling out of my dream and I opened my eyes to see Will busy sharpening his sword with Jack still at the wheel staring intently ahead.

I closed my eyes to try and sort out some of my confusion which the dream had sparked. It was a movie theatre, I remembered. But there were no movie cinemas where I was right now. I knew that without a doubt. So where was I from, and how did I get to where I am now?

I sighed at the mysteries which I could have no hope of deciphering. At least not until my memory returned.

Will's voice interrupted my thoughts as he addressed Jack. "When I was a lad living in England, my mother raised me by herself. After she died, I came out here, looking for my father."

"Is that so?" Muttered Jack in a seemingly disinterested tone. He did not turn around.

"My father, Will Turner." Continued Will in a strong voice. "At the jail, it was only after you learned my name that you agreed to help. Since that's what I wanted, I didn't press the matter. I'm not a simpleton, Jack. You knew my father."

This announcement could not help but prick my curiosity, and I sat up.

"I knew 'im." Admitted Jack. "Probably one the few who knew him as William Turner . Everyone else just called him Bootstrap or Bootstrap Bill."

"Bootstrap?"

"Good man. Good Pirate." Jack said, turning to look at Will. "I swear you look just like him."

My mouth opened in shock, and I'll admit, the corners of it did twitch in amusement at the announcement that Will's father was a 'savage pirate', as he had so eloquently termed them.

"It's not true." Cried Will defensively, getting up. "He was a merchant sailor. A good, respectable sailor who obeyed the law."

"He was a bloody pirate, a scallywag." Jack retorted with his characteristic lack of tact.

Will unsheathed his sword threateningly. "My father was not a pirate."

"Ah, Will, apparently he was… so why don't you put that sword away and accept it?" I said quickly, getting up from my spot and taking a couple of steps towards him.

He threw an angry glance at me. "Not until he takes it back!"

Jack didn't appear to be phased by Will's threats. "Put it away, son. It's not worth you getting beat again."

"You didn't beat me. You ignored the rules of engagement. In a fair fight I'd of killed you."

"Well then that's not much incentive for me to fight fair then, is it?" Jack asked, turning his head to look at Will. In a sudden movement, he jerked the wheel to the right. Will barely had time to register what was happening before he grabbed the boom that was sent flying and found himself dangling precariously over oceans waves.

I let out a scream of shock and fear and clamoured up the stairs that led to the helm. "Are you mad?" I screamed at Jack. "Bring him back in!"

I struggled to turn the wheel but Jack's strength easily arrested my attempts and he caught me in firm grip around the waist and pulled me away from the wheel.

"Easy, love." He cooed as my struggling limbs sought contact with his body.

My attempts were in vain as he continued his tirade towards Will. "Now as long as you're just hanging there, pay attention. The only rules that really matter are these – what a man can do, and what a man can't do. For example, you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man or you can't. But pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that one day. Now me for example, I can let you drown, despite this little lady's struggles, but I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by my onesy, and judging by Miss Gateau's behaviour, she ain't gonna be much of a great help. So…" He reached out an arm and swung the boom back over the deck and released me. "Can you sail under the command of a pirate? Or can you not?" He jumped down the steps and picked up Will's sword and offered it to him.

Will, who had fallen to the deck panting, looked gingerly at it before accepting it. "Tortuga?" He asked.

I saw Jack grin. "Tortuga."

I looked from one to the other. "What's Tortuga?"