You've been burned more than once, you don't think much of trust. –Dashboard Confessional

"Woke up on the wrong side of the bed or somethin'?"

Ana Maria looked up into Jack's dark brown eyes, her own dark eyes piercing him. Jack sighed. He knew what that meant. Ana's looks had become customary when the two spoke. The two of them had started having breakfast together a couple weeks earlier quite on accident but hadn't broken the habit. Now they were at a quiet little tavern that sold more than alcohol. The streets were quiet, with all the drunks passed out until later in the day.

She finally spoke, "What makes you ask?"

"Yer awfully quiet…not bored, are you luv?"

"Only with the company."

He smirked. Also used to her smart-comments when she was running low on tolerance and patience. "Really luv," he started, putting his spoon in his soup, "what's with the silence?"

She sighed and looked at her own food in front of her, then looking at her captain she said, "That Nathan bloke…something about him Jack…"

Jack rolled his eyes, he was hoping she would've gotten over this by now. Ana rolled her own eyes at his response and insisted, "He's dealing with murders! What business does a pirate have with killers?"

"How do you know he's dealing with killers?"

"He was talkin' 'bout Dead Cay! I'm no fool Jack, I know who inhabit that island."

Jack sighed, Dead Cay, eh? Have t' talk t' Norrington about that. "I don't know what t' tell you luv."

Ana's eyes widened as she watched Jack return to his food. She held back the urge to whack him across the head and said, "Don't be a bloody fool, Jack! What if he's here t' hire a mercenary? To betray you! To kill the crew!"

Jack smirked, "I doubt it."

Ana narrowed her eyes, "You knew that he was wantin' t' go t' Dead Cay, didn't you?"

"In a sense…"

"Bloody pirate." She muttered as she turned herself around in her chair and started eating her own soup. Jack sighed and put down his spoon, "What?" he asked irritated.

She looked up and pointed a finger at him, "You knew he was dealin' with killers! You didn't tell yer crew that! Jack, they have given you all their trust- do not do this to them."

"Do what? I brought on a bloody pirate!"

Ana Maria stared at him for a minute but then leaned in close to him, "You know for a fact he's a pirate?"

Jack swallowed. Lately Ana had the uncanny ability to tell when he was lying. She was downright scaring Jack and every time he was about to lie to her he had to focus. Now was no different.

He put on a non-feeling expression and said, "Why would I take on anyone who wasn't a pirate? Do you think I want another mutiny on my hands?"

She narrowed her eyes and stared at him for a minute. "You're lying." She said, but then ended with, "I dunno why yer covering for this bloody scoundrel, but I'll find out. I'll find out why yer lying now, who Nathan really is and why he's here."

Jack narrowed his eyes as well, leaning in, "Trust me."

She paused, the comment had surprised her and her face showed it, "What makes you think I don't?"

"This conversation." He said, quietly, leaning in a little more to get in her personal space, except she didn't move back like most people. The pirate captain went on, "I am your captain, I need you t' trust my reasons for bringin' on Nathan, savvy luv?"

The female pirate paused, and then nodded, "Aye."

Jack nodded as well and the two continued with their breakfast.

"Nathan…"

James Norrington stopped short as Jack stopped right in front of him. He looked down at the pirate captain and waited for anything else to come from his mouth. It was mid afternoon and the crew was beginning to gather back on the ship. James was just about to find Jack to see why the plans had changed. They weren't supposed to leave until the next morning.

"Captain."

Jack smirked, "Just the man I was looking for,"

"I could say the same thing." Norrington said as Jack pointed toward the ship and the two of them slowly walked up the gangplank they were already standing on. "We're leaving?"

Jack nodded, "That we are. Headed to Dead Cay."

Norrington stopped, just barely on the ship, "Who told you?"

"Ana Maria…came to me with some…problems. That managed to find it's way into our conversation…"

I'm sure… Norrington raised a brow, "But why leave early?"

Jack turned and practically whispered in his ear, "I'm assuming you want t' get home….no?" Norrington merely stared at the pirate. Jack shrugged and said, starting to walk off, "Consider it a favor."

"Cut it out Roberts!"

"I'm tryin' to!"

Bianca rolled her eyes and stifled her shrieking by biting her knuckle. "I mean stop it!"

The elderly, balding man ignored her kept cutting through her skin. She had somehow managed to lodge something sharp up into her ankle when she had fallen, and that was keeping her from walking and the wound from healing.

As she bit down on her knuckle she felt the familiar taste of salt in her mouth. She cursed under her breath and looked at her finger. It was bleeding from the teeth marks. Roberts looked up and saw the bleeding and cursed, "Bianca White! How many times have I told you…!"

She nodded, "I bloody know!" He sighed and tossed her a shirt that he used for a towel and she put it on her knuckle while looking at her other fingers that had scars on them from her teeth.

"You've only been on this bloomin' ship for eight months an' you already chewed through three fingers!"

Bianca stuck her tongue out at the man she had grown to love in those eight months. He paused and looked at her telling her, "Now hush up," and then cut deeper. She screamed an ear-piercing scream and then stuck her face in the shirt she had for her knuckle to hush her cries.

Not a moment later Jack and James came running down the stairs and Jack said, "What the blast is goin' on in 'ere?"

Roberts looked up only slightly but kept his eyes on his work. "Almost got it…"

"Got what?"

Bianca screamed again and Norrington went to her immediately and held out his hand. She looked at it and yelled, "What do you want me t' do, slap it?"

"Hold on to it!" he said, but he didn't have to repeat himself. As Roberts dug deeper, Bianca squeezed Norrington's hand for all she was worth. Jack stared at the Brit for a moment and then went over to Roberts and watched him work. Finally he pulled out a three inch thorn that had stuck itself into her skin and gone all the way in. Roberts had made a cut about five inches long, but otherwise he wouldn't have been able to get it.

"Only five inches Bianca…" Roberts said as she relaxed a little and he started wrapping up her calf.

She looked up at Norrington, "Thanks Nathan…"

He smiled slightly, removing his hand and shaking it out, trying to get blood flowing again, "My pleasure."

"Anderson! With me." Norrington turned sharply and watched Jack walk up the stairs with a bottle in each hand. He sighed and followed the pirate. Jack led him back to his cabin and shut the door behind the Commodore. "What the blast was that about?" Jack asked sharply.

James paused, a little confused. "What was what about?"

Jack pointed out the door, "Holding Bianca's bloody hand!"

"Uh…well…" James stuttered, he wasn't really sure. It was just impulse, even though he had never held a woman's hand except for when he was a boy. "…To provide…comfort?"

"My eye! Bianca is a woman of twenty-eight! She knows how to curb her pain."

James stood there silent, feeling once again like a lower rank than he really was. "It was…inappropriate, I apologize."

Jack raised a brow, he hadn't expected James' response to be so respectful. The pirate captain sighed, "Take a seat Commodore. I got somethin' to curb yer…behavior." He said, only half kidding.

James did as he was told and sat down, watching Jack pour an orange-ish liquid into two mugs. Jack then handed one to James and raised his own, "To…"

James picked it up and raised it as well, "…the Turners…"

Jack paused, staring at James for a moment and then said, "To Captains, present and past." And then hit his own mug against the Commodore's. James paused before he took a drink and then almost immediately starting coughing.

He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and said, "What the heck is that?!"

Jack grinned, "Rum."

"Now tell me…why do ye hate the Turners?"

Jack frowned, "I don't!"

After twenty minutes of persuading, arguing, and commanding, the Commodore finally got down the whole mug of rum, and then another. Within the hour, the Commodore of the West Caribbean was drunk. Jack was amazed by his low tolerance level to alcohol, but not surprised. Jack wasn't even close to being drunk.

"Then why you avoid them?"

Jack paused, the reason to get the Commodore drunk was so Jack could ask him questions about the Turners…not the other way around. Get the conversation off yourself or you'll be sorry.

Jack cleared his throat after he took another drink and then said, "I have a feelin' I'm not the only one who avoids the Turners, Commodore."

James frowned, "Why's that, Sparrow?"

Jack leaned in, "I saw it happen Commodore, Elizabeth accepted your proposal…I also saw her choose to stand by Will…and now the two of them are married. There must be some…rough moments,"

James paused. Why tell him if there were or not? He's no friend. He's a pirate. Your enemy

And my only friend at the moment.

James struggled with his hazed mind, trying to decide whether or not to tell Jack. He hadn't told anyone else his feelings. There wasn't really anyone to tell. He would never bring it up to the Turners and to bring it up to his other friends would be improper. He looked at Jack, he had a calm look about him, like he wasn't pushing the Commodore at all.

"Of course, that's to be expected…if you were in love with her." Jack said leaning back.

James sneered slightly and decided to play along with Jack's little game, but his sober conscious wasn't sure how this would work out, considering he was drunk. "Yea…love…that's what it is."

Jack paused, "Is?"

James nodded, "Of course! I love 'er! She's beautiful!"

"You picked her for her looks?"

James paused, Why not? If you're gonna play… "Oh yea! She'd look good with me! That's the point!"

Jack was confused. He thought the Commodore was a better man than that. He tried clarifying, "You mean you proposed on the mere fact that she was…high society an' good lookin'?"

James smiled lazily and nodded, "Aye, Aye, Captain."

Jack paused, examining the Commodore. He's lying, He thought to himself, He's gotta be. As much as I'd love for him t' be this low…he's not. "I think it's time you got t' yer cabin, Nathan."

James looked around, "Whose Nathan?"

Jack rolled his eyes and stood up, "C'mon…" he said, grabbing the naval officer's elbow and pulling him to his feet. Norrington pushed away slightly, "I can walk by m'self!" he said, and then fell slightly before Jack caught him.

"Sure, an' I'm the King of England."

James nodded and Jack helped him out the door. Together they slowly walked across the deck to Norrington's cabin. Why are you helpin' him?

I'm not sure… Jack admitted to himself. But before he had time to think about that, he spotted Bianca. He cursed under his breath and shook Norrington, "Get up."

He only groaned. Jack rolled his eyes, figuring the man was on his way to dreamland.

"Nathan?"

Jack looked up, Bianca looked shocked. "He's…tired." She looked at her Captain skeptically. Now you're covering for him! "…Got too much…he lost…poker! He lost a card game."

Bianca raised a brow, doubtful of her Captain's story. "He's drunk, ain't he?"

Jack said nothing except for, "Get t' bed." She sighed but did as she was told. Jack let out a breath of relief and kept going. When he opened Norrington's door and walked him to the bed opposite Gibbs, James woke up. Groggily he said, "Why'd ye do that?"

Jack frowned, "Do what?"

"Care."

Jack paused, looking at the English man for a moment and then letting go of him gently so he would fall onto his pillow. Just as he was about to leave the cabin, Jack heard, "Just like you care for Will." Jack stopped for a moment and then kept going, trying to forget what he had just done.

Author thanks:

Dawnie-7: Yes…yes there is a romance…but I'm not sure how I'm progressing it very well…

Kettch-22: I have a feeling you like Norrington? Am I correct? Well he's a bit bitter about love…and we can all imagine why. He also doesn't like talking about it…also understandable.

Padme17

PiratePrincess91: I'M FREAKIN OUT…because I've never done a Jack/Ana thing…I'm serious worried it's not going to turn out…real…you know what I mean? But do you think I'm doing a good job so far?