The next morning, Jackie sat outside the porch, looking around, not really thinking about anything when voices floated down out of an open window.

"Jack, you cannot sneak out of here without saying goodbye."

Jackie vaguely recognized it as Will's voice. She wasn't really paying much attention to the conversation.

"I wasn't gonna sneak," Jack's voice argued.

"You were just going to leave without a notice."

Slowly Jackie focused on what was being said.

"Wha's your point?"

Will let out an exasperated sigh, and there was the sound of a door closing. Shortly after, Will appeared on the porch.

"I 'eard you two talkin'," Jackie said, not moving.

Will eased into the chair next to her, and leaned back with a sigh. "I would have closed the window if I had known you were out here."

Jackie shrugged, and said. "It probably wouldn't 'ave mattered. 'e'd 'ave left anyway."

"True."

They sat there for a few more minutes, then finally Jackie stood up.

"I'll be right back," she said, walking slowly back into the house.

She walked up the stairs and came face to face with her father.

"Yir leavin'," Jackie said. "You weren't gonna say g'bye." She placed her hands on her hips, mustering up all the courage she had not to turn and leave. She'd just found her father. She wasn't planning on loosing him just yet.

"I 'ave to go back to th' Pearl," Jack said by way of excuse. He tried to step around her, but she moved back in front of him. "I 'ave to go, luv."

"I know." Jackie was shaking slightly. She wasn't used to being stubborn.

Jack got past her onto the stairs, managing to look and act the same as always just as if he weren't abandoning his only daughter.

As he walked around the corner at the bottom of the stairs, Jackie felt her heart sink. That was it then.

No, she suddenly decided, it wasn't. Her whole world had been yanked out from underneath her, and she wasn't about to let him – her father go.

"Jack!" She called. She flew down the stairs, cursing her skirts as she went, and nearly bumped into the captain. He was standing by the front door, one hand on the knob, looking slightly impatient.

"I need to go, Jackie."

"I wanna say g'bye." Jackie swallowed. Jack studied her face for a moment, before nodding. "Goodbye, Jack." She said. "Don' get caught."

Jack grinned roguishly and started to step out of the door. Suddenly, Jackie's arms were around him.

"Luv!" He exclaimed, "Wha' are ye doin'?" Jackie didn't answer, just squeezed him tighter. "I'm not gonna go an' get me self killed! I'm comin' back!" He tried to disentangle himself from her arms.

"I know," said his daughter, and reluctantly let him go. "Come back soon."

Jack looked at her, wondering what had just happened, then shook it off and started out the door again.

"G'bye, luv."

"G'bye," She answered. She paused slightly before adding, "Da."