Author's Note: I can't sleep and I'm battling writer's block...deal with it.

Author's Note #2: What happens with Jane and Angelina baking in this chapter – that really happened. It takes two of us to make brownies.

Author's Note #3: Yey! You'll finally learn of the quest/plot-type thingy. I hope everyone likes it. It seemed appropriate at 1:10 in the morning. It was really fun to write.

Author's Note #4: The Mysterious Pirate finally has a name and a background! Yey! Go me! I overcame my writer's block!

Author's Note #5: Also, the copyright stuff in this chapter (Can't tell you, don't want to ruin the plot surprise!)... I don't own it. SobSobTearTear And you all know I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean, right? Right? Good. Don't want to get turned in by my own crew...that would be BAD.

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CHAPTER THREE: THE PLOT THICKENS (OR JUST BEGINS)

Angelina woke from her nap to a face hanging over her. She screamed and fell out of her hammock. She stood up and saw Jane smiling smugly. "Let's make brownies."

"You woke me up just to make BROWNIES?!" Angelina roared. Jane nodded overenthusiastically. "Fine." Angelina grumbled and stalked with Jane to the galley.

"I think we should make these. Peanut butter chip brownies."

"Whatever." Angelina mumbled, still half asleep.

"Wait...we don't have any peanut butter chips...there's just chocolate and peanut butter and then there's butterscotch." Jane said, rummaging around in the cupboards.

"Use them all." Angelina suggested.

"OK!" Jane brought out two bags. "What else?"

"Uh, brown sugar, sugar, salt, vanilla, baking soda, eggs, butter – bloody hell, that's a lot of butter – and all purpose flour. Hey, what's the difference between all purpose flour and the rest?"

"I dunno. Maybe there's cake flour and flour flour and brownie flour and all purpose flour."

"What's the point of the rest of 'em?"

"Dunno."

"OK." Angelina shrugged and went on trying to melt the butter. Finally it worked.

"It says beat the eggs, flour, and butter until light and fluffy." Jane shoved a spoon in and started stirring away, whistling "Whistle While You Work".

"Uh, Jane, wouldn't it be easier if you used a blender?"

"We're on a pirate ship...we're already coping with trying not to burn it down. Don't make it harder."

"Fine." Angelina started on the dry ingredients. "Where's the baking soda?"

"I've got it. I know my way around this place. How much?"

"1/4 a t. What's a t? Tablespoon?"

"No, that's too much. I think it's a teaspoon." She measured it and threw it into her bowl.

"Uh, Jane, I needed that."

"Oh...uh, oh well. It'll all be mixed together in the long run."

Finally they mixed everything together.

"Uh, it says pour the BATTER into the pan. That's definitely not batter."

"Add water then." Angelina suggested.

"Good idea!" Jane added a cup and a half of water. After Angelina stirred some more, it looked soupier. "Looks good. Pour it in."

"You do it, my arm's tired." Jane complied and finally finished pouring it in. Angelina helped smooth the batter, and then stuck her spoon in her mouth. "Mmmmm."

"Uh oh." Jane pointed to the butter wrappers. "I was going to use those to grease the pan."

"So?"

"We didn't grease the pan AT ALL!"

"Arrg...."

"Well, what do we do? We don't want them to stick."

"We'll have to pour it all out and lick the pan."

"Ewww...unsanitary."

"We'll wash it before we put the batter back in, of course!"

They proceeded to pour the batter back into the bowl and scrape the pan. Angelina kept sneaking a taste of the batter. "Don't touch it!" Jane pulled the pan away. Angelina whimpered. "And don't even THINK of touching THAT!" Jane pointed to the bowl. Angelina looked at it longingly. Jane washed the pan and greased it. Then they poured the batter back in, Angelina scraping it out.

"Uh, did I use this spoon...?"

"Hm?"

"Was this your spoon, cause I licked mine."

"It better not be yours! That's nasty!"

"Oh, wait. There's mine. Phew."

Jane growled under her breath.

"OK, now we cook it."

Ten minutes later, Jane checked the brownies. "Uh, these don't look like brownies. I hope all those holes go away."

"Me too."

When they were finally done, they looked like brownies alright.

"Yay! We did it!" Jane yelled. They both did a little happy dance.

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Jane and Angelina poked their heads up above the barrel they were hiding behind. There was their target. Jack Sparrow.

They skipped up to him, holding their hands behind their backs.

Jack gave them a wary look and raised his eyebrow.

"Hi Jack." Angelina said.

"Hi Jack." Jane said.

"Hi..." Jack said, uncertain if he really wanted to be around them.

"Jack..." Angelina said, batting her eyes. "We made this for you." She held out a brownie.

Jack looked at the brownie as if it might be poisonous. "Thanks, loves. I'll eat it later."

"No! You have to eat it so we can see your reaction!" Jane said.

Jack regarded the brownie as if it might blow up in his hand. He brought it up to his mouth, thinking of all the girls that were still left Jackless. He took a small bite.....He didn't die.

Jane and Angelina stood there with big grins on their faces.

"It's...good...surprisingly."

"Yay!" Jane and Angelina did a little happy dance. Jack backed away from them. They scampered off.

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It was Kat's turn next...but just as they were about to spring a brownie upon her, Angelina felt a sharp metal object pushing into her shoulder.

She turned and looked at it. It was a hook. She screamed. Jane screamed. Kat turned around, noticing them and then saw the man and gave a battle cry and sprung at him.

Two swords clashed and they fought back and forth, Parry, Thrust, Clang Clang, Parry, Thrust, Clang Clang...

Angelina drew her sword and caught the man from behind; he turned and fought her, while Kat found her better sword.

Jane sat there with her mouth open, holding the pan of brownies. The man had the biggest pirate hat Jane had ever seen. It was red and had big black feathers on the side and black trim. It was beautiful.

The man was wearing a red coat the color of his hat and had shiny black boots. His clothes under the coat were deep red and richly embroidered around the hems with gold. He had long, curly black hair and a black goatee. His eyes were a piercing blue. But the most noticeable thing about him was his right hand...or should I say: right HOOK. He had a metal hook in the place of his hand, which he used to claw at Angelina. He expertly, backed her into a wall and held the sharp hook to her neck.

"Such a pity, you put up such a fight. I wouldn't have to kill you now if you hadn't. You could have been my......mother." He said maliciously, his eyes turning a deep red color as he started moving his hook closer to her bare throat.

Suddenly, the man felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see what the annoyance was, holding Angelina in her place.

Jane was grinning innocently and had her hands behind her back. "Would you like a brownie, sir?"

"No, can't you see I'm a little busy, here?"

"Oh, that's too bad, 'cause I made them just for you." Jane batted her eyes.

"Yes, well, that is too bad then, isn't it?"

"Unless, you want one BEFORE you kill her?"

"No, I do NOT want one BEFORE I kill her!"

"I'm sorry, but I insist..." Jane said, smashing the entire pan into his face, causing him to let go of Angelina and let her slip away, gasping.

Kat caught the man at sword point as he clawed at the mass of brownie stuck on his face. She smiled at the prospective fight and waited patiently. Good things took time...

The man finally cleaned the brownies from his face and noticed Kat's sword. He hooked it with his right hand and threw it aside. Kat grabbed for her knife, hidden in her sleeve. She drew it and fought away the man's hook coming at her face.

Just then, Jesse and the Mysterious Pirate came upon this scene and they immediately pulled their swords from their holsters and fought the man, giving Kat time to regain her sword from across the deck where it had skidded.

"Ah, I see you've found a crew, James." the man said to the Mysterious Pirate.

"I have, Jacobus" he answered.

"And a lady?"

"Yes, a lady."

"Ah, good lad. I always knew you'd amount to something."

This seemingly chit-chatty conversation was going on as the three fought back and forth.

"Am...am I mi-"Jesse dodged a thrust from the man. "Am I missing something here?"

"James and I were old ship mates. He decided he wanted better than to worry Indians and Lost Boys, so he left my crew."

"I'm really missing something now. Did you just say the LOST BOYS?"

"Yes, he did."

"As in, THE Lost Boys?"

"The same."

Jesse faltered and the man plunged his hook for his neck, James caught the hook with his blade.

"Now, Jacobus, don't kill a friend."

The man's eyes flashed red, but he backed up a step. James helped Jesse up.

Jesse looked back and forth from the man to James to Angelina, Jane, and Kat. "It's like a bedtime story. First they're talking about Indians and Lost Boys and now here's....here's........" his eyes widened and he could only whisper the next word. "Hook."

"The same." Hook took off his hat and bowed. "Now, after a lovely meeting, I must finish my business of killing you." He tossed his hat overboard. Jane ran to the side and dived over into the water after it.

Angelina sat gaping at James. Kat sat gaping at Hook. The sounds of fighting drew the rest of the crew, who stood there, not believing the scene that they were witnessing.

The man advanced. James stepped between him and Jesse. Hook knocked him aside. His eyes turned red as he closed in.

A little glowing ball of light, no bigger than anyone's fist darted in front of Hook, causing him to swish his sword at it to get it away. Jesse took the opportunity and threw his body weight into Hook's chest. It caught him off guard and he staggered. Jesse picked up his sword and began to fight as Hook regained his step.

There was a shriek from the rigging where Puss had watched the fight, not abandoning her post at the mast. She slipped from the rope and started a plummet downward, but a green thing dropped down and caught her, replacing her back into the rigging.

Hook looked up and cursed when he saw that. "Pan."

Jesse's eyes widened and he looked up too. Hook used that as a means of getting away.

Safely on his own ship, Hook called from the bow. "Don't worry James! I'll be back to worry your crewmates AND your little lassie too!" He cackled like the Wicked With of the West. (OK, no he didn't, but it would be funny.)

James stared off after the ship. He had a determined look on his face. "You just try." he muttered under his breath.

"WHAT in bloody Hell was that about?!" AnnaMariea yelled.

"I think it's our new enemy." Orla said.

"Si." Gabriel agreed.

"Mui Bien." Orla replied.

"What a way to start a voyage..." Charlotte said with a low whistle. "But I'm game for a high seas adventure!"

Sarah was stroking her ferret, contemplatively. "Hook, Pan...I know where he's from!"

"Neverland, duh." Lina said. "The Lost Boys, Indians...it all adds up to Lina." she tapped her head with her forefinger.

"Would ya just think...our next enemy is THE Captain Hook of the Jolly Rodger..." Jchin said. Echo beamed.

Everyone was silent in shock, thinking about the famous Captain Hook of bedtime stories.

"YOUR NAMES IS JAMES?!" Angelina screeched. "YOU COULDN'T TELL ME A SIMPLE NAME LIKE THAT?! I'M SITTING HERE HAVING TO CALL YOU 'MYSTERIOUS PIRATE' ALL THE TIME!!! 'OH, MYSTERIOUS PIRATE, YOU SAVED ME; 'MYSTERIOUS PIRATE, YOU'RE SO HANDSOME'; 'MYSTERIOUS PIRATE, KISS ME AGAIN'..." She trailed off, realizing that everyone was listening to her. She blinked, smiled nervously, and waved.

"Do WHAT again?" Jack asked, threateningly.

Angelina giggled nervously.

"Ah, I see what's going on." Jack said, waggling a finger at her. "C'mon, Charlotte, let's LEAVE." He grabbed Charlotte because she was the closest one to him and stomped off. She turned back with a scared look on her face.

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Later, Angelina and James leaned on the side of the ship, watching the sun.

"Listen, I'm sorry about the name thing. I'm just weird about my name. It seems like all pirates' names start with a J. Jack, Jacobus, James, Jesse, Jane! I wanted something different, instead of Mr. James Marley, crew.'

"You could have had people call you Marley."

"That never occurred to me. Ah, well, I still liked the mystery of 'The Mysterious Pirate' better."

"Me too. It was...romantic." She slid her arm through his and rested her chin on his upper arm. "In a long, annoying sort of way, ya know." She looked up at him with a half-irritated, half-teasing twinkle in her eye and laughed.

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