Hey everyone! Well, sorry it took me so long but now I'm now back in school so I can update! Man, grade 11 already! This sux! Oh well, I'll get over it...slowly.

Chapter 14-traitor hunting

Jack closed his eyes and moved his head away from Commodore Norrington. Anamaria, feeling this action, looked down and saw the defeated look on his face. He was giving up? Jack Sparrow never gave up! Slowly, so as not to hurt him, Anamaria lowered him to the ground and then sprung up, sword in hand, ready to fight.

She met the first navy man before she was prepared. He lunged hard and fast, trying to knock the sword from her hand. Norrington shouted something but Anamaria didn't hear it, she had to protect them. She managed to get under the man's swing and come up behind him, slamming him on the head with the blunt end of her sword. When the man was down she turned.

CLANG! She whipped around and came face to face with the Commodore himself. He pushed forward and their swords disconnected. Anamaria took a deep breath and they began circling each other like a shark does to bait, sizing each other up. Norrington had been trained for combat and against pirates; Anamaria had picked up different moves from watching different pirates and had an unpredictable approach to sword fighting. There were pros and cons to both.

She lunged and Norrington sidestepped, knocking Anamaria's sword to the left. She couldn't get it around fast enough and found it to her back. They stood there for a moment before Anamaria threw her sword away in a sign of surrender. A navy man picked it up instantly.

Norrington came around to face her, sword still drawn. "Hand over all you're weapons." He said monotonously. Anamaria's mind was set. No way. Quick as lightning, she did a back flip stretching completely out and landing on her feet at least eight full strides away from the Commodore who was temporarily struck dumb in shock at what had just happened. He didn't stay struck for long.

As he rushed at her, Anamaria pulled out her gun and rolled sideways, coming up to find a sword at her throat. She raised the gun.

"You stab me and I'll kill you." She said, pointing the gun between his eyeballs.

"Make a move and I'll take you're bloody head off." He answered. "Don't try that trick again, you could have hurt yourself and we need you." Anamaria went to answer viciously but stopped. Now it was her turn to be stupid. Had he just said they needed her?

"What's in it for me?" She asked. "And what do you want me to do?" Norrington looked at the gun, his eyes staring down the barrel. If he was uneasy, he didn't show it.

"Can we talk on my ship?" He asked. Anamaria looked around the clearing uneasily and Norrington, studying her face, called out, "Put you're guns away. They are to have safe passage aboard." Anamaria raised her eyebrows. "All of them." He lowered his sword and Anamaria lowered her gun.

"I would rather keep the gun." She said as Norrington made to take it. He stopped, mid action and nodded, retracting his hand. Anamaria smiled her thanks and walked past him, eyes and ears still open for any sounds or movements of hostility towards them. None came and she reached Jack first. Most of the navy men seemed not to want to go near him.

"Will Mr. Sparrow make it to the ship?" Norrington asked, kneeling down next to her. Jack had fallen unconscious again; either that or he was listening and pretending, thinking of a way to get out of this. Anamaria nodded.

"He's been having a rough little while." She said. "I think he'll make it." Suddenly she felt guilty. It was all her fault this had happened. She should have warned him this would happen!

Norrington looked over his shoulder. "Go to the ship and fetch a stretcher, bring it back and hurry." He said. When the men were gone he stood up and went to Elizabeth. "We saw the wreckage of the Black Pearl. Was Will on it?" Elizabeth looked at him, shocked. "Don't think I wouldn't have known Jack Sparrow was in town nor that the Black Pearl was harbored off shore." He said, shrugging. "I want to catch him in open water, not drunk at you're mansion."

"Thank you James." Elizabeth said, tears sliding down her face. "Will's alive...I know he is." Norrington smiled slightly.

The men came back with the stretcher and carefully they moved Jack on to it. Anamaria walked slowly behind it with Gibbs, Elizabeth with Norrington. Gibbs leaned over, his face white and whispered, "Wonder what's on the captain's brain. I'm thinkin' he's awake an' doesn't wanna talk to the Commodore yet, eh?"

"I'm more curious with what the Commodore's after." Anamaria answered, glancing over at Gibbs. "Everything comes with a price Gibbs."

"Not everything." He answered.

"Name one." Anamaria answered. "I was let on to the Black Pearl because Jack knew I'd kill him if he didn't give me a ship. He still owes me one and once I get it..."

"You're gone?" There was something like skepticism in Gibbs' voice. Anamaria allowed herself to glare at him for a moment before continuing.

"Maybe." She said. "Like I said, everything comes with a price. I dare you to name one that doesn't."

"Love don't...and sometimes you can get free booty to, some of em women in Tortuga are just willin'." Anamaria chose to ignore him from now on.

They came to the beach a few minutes later. It was a bright and sunny day, the sun hanging high and the tides low. Many of Norrington's men stood at the rowboats, waiting and many stiffened when they saw the pirates.

The ship was really nice with twenty-one cannons at least. A little bigger then the black Pearl, men rushed around her and Anamaria could feel the pride in each one as though this was a castle. She'd tried not to think of the Pearl or look at the wreckage on the way over. Now, as she stood at the railing, watching the men cart Jack up, her eyes moved to the wreckage. Black boards...clothing...barrels...a table from the captain's cabin.

"We got as many bodies as we could." Norrington said. He'd been at her shoulder for sometime but she hadn't noticed. "We wrapped them and put them on the beach then we went looking for survivors. Anamaria's eyes moved to the beach where the bodies lay in a line, dressed in white canvas. A piece of the ship lay beside them like a tomb stone. Even from this distance, she could read the name, Black Pearl on the boards. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Anamaria said. She could feel the tears stinging in the corner of her eyes. "It's over now. We all have to move on."

"How many souls aboard?" He asked. Anamaria was never great shakes at counting but she took a stab at it.

"Bout twenty-seven." She answered. "Did you check the whole island? There could have been others."

"There were two others." Norrington replied. Anamaria looked up hopefully but he shook his head. "They died a short while later from injuries much worse then Mr. Sparrow's I'm afraid." They'd finally got Jack up and now Anamaria and Norrington watched as they moved him below. "I'll have my ship doctor look at him. Don't worry."

"Why are you doing this?" Anamaria blurted out. The Commodore looked taken aback but only for a split second.

"Doing what?" He asked innocently. Anamaria placed her hands on her hips.

"Helping us pirates." Anamaria answered, turning to him and meeting his gaze with her own. He hardly blinked, something Anamaria found slightly off putting. "You were willing to hang him a few years ago, hell there's a price on his head. Now, you're saving his life? Why not leave him and let him die and be rid?"

"You'd rather I did that? Be as bad as a pirate?" Norrington asked monotonously. Anamaria swallowed and waited for him to continue. She could hear that note in his voice that suggested he was to continue. "I am a member of a force that protects the citizens of her majesty the queen. It is my duty to enforce laws and look after the people under the crown. Though Sparrow, as an enemy to myself and the crown may not be entitled to the same treatment, Eliza...Mrs. Turner, Mr. Turner and of course all the people those pirates may hurt are my concern." He finally took a breath. "If I have to help an enemy to help others, so be it."

Anamaria turned away, nodding and looked back out at the wreckage. "Thank you." She said. Norrington, unable to hear her quiet voice, leaned closer.

"Pardon me?" He asked. Anamaria looked at him and smiled.

"You heard what I said an' don't make me repeat it. It's bad enough I 'ad to say it once." Norrington didn't smile at the female pirate but she could see the amusement in his eyes none the less. "Now, may I go see my captain?" Norrington nodded and Anamaria followed him across the deck and down the stairs to the underbelly of the ship. "All these red coats make me nervous."

"They should." Norrington said in front of her. Anamaria tried not to let her imagination get the better of her as she thought of all the things that statement could mean. "Here it is." Norrington pushed open a door at the end of a torch lit corridor and led Anamaria inside.

Jack was lying on the clean bed in the corner of the room, the table lamp next to him illuminating his still form with it's flickering light. Gibbs stood very close by, his arms across his wide chest, his bearded face showing his obvious worry as though it were made of glass. A man sat on the edge of the bed with a tray of metal instruments beside him, presumably the doctor and the man standing at his shoulder, talking to him was likely his assistant.

They were cutting away Jack's shirt with a pair of silver scissors. Anamaria clenched her teeth, what if they stabbed him by accident, or cut his skin? Maybe they really weren't trying to help him but were going to hurt him? Norrington seemed to see her worry because he bent closer to her and whispered, "They're very good and professional at their practice. He'll be fine, you have my word."

Nodding, Anamaria made her way over to Gibbs and got a clearer view of the wounds on Jack's body. "I can't believe he swam to shore like that." She said. The assistant, a kid hardly old enough to shave or dress himself, looked up suddenly and their eyes met. He smiled and returned to his work, glancing up occasionally. Anamaria ignored him, watching her captain.

After a few minutes, the doctor looked back at them. "Would you mind leaving? You're very distracting and it'll be a while." He had the ugliest, flabbiest face Anamaria had ever seen and the dullest eyes...like he was actually a moron. She suddenly wanted to kill him.

"You have sharp objects around our captain, you're strangers working with the navy and you want us to leave?" Anamaria shot out. The assistant smiled at her but Anamaria ignored him again. The flabby man looked angry and was about to retort when Norrington grabbed her arm and began leading her from the room.

"They're helping him, just relax." Norrington said. Anamaria pulled away from him.

"No, you stay away from me. I don't car if you are helping but I don't want you near me." And she stormed away up the stairs and on to deck, thinking all the while that maybe she should have died to.

"Ana...come on Anamaria, wake up." She one was shaking her shoulder. She jumped up, her eyes springing open, her arm slashing wildly with the dagger in her hand. Gibbs, who was standing well back, watched with humor as Elizabeth crouched in the corner, wide eyed. She'd evidently been the one waking Anamaria. Around her there was the cocking of many guns as the navy men reacted to her out burst.

Norrington rushed out of his cabin and came over, shouting for the men to lower their weapons. "Miss...um...pirate! Put you're knife down now." He instructed, "You could have hurt some one." Anamaria slowly lowered the knife and then stuck it in her boot, rubbing her sore neck. She'd fallen asleep on deck earlier and now was trying to adjust to the sudden night around her.

"What time is it?" She asked, looking around and finally helping Elizabeth to her feet. The proper woman wiped off her cloths and sighed.

"Late." She said, near mid night. The doctors are done with Jack; we've all been down to see him. He's still asleep." Anamaria felt her heart beat racing. Jack was okay! "You should go down now, the doctor will still be there." Anamaria nodded and walked off, feeling their eyes on her as she went.

Down the stairs, to the right, down the corridor. Her feet moved when her brain couldn't. All she wanted was to see Jack. She opened the door, sticking her head into the room. The doctor was hunched over the table, writing something on a piece of paper.

"Come on in." He said. Anamaria stepped in a let the door snap shut behind her. The flabby man was gone and the young man was the only one in there. "He'll be okay I believe." He turned and smiled at her. "Miss."

"Where's the doctor?" She asked. The man's smile widened.

"I am." He said. "The other man is my assistant. He puts in some work now and then, likes to think he's the doctor." Anamaria raised her eyebrows and the doctor laughed. "You think I'm to young?" He asked. "I assure you, it's only the lighting...I look young but I'm not. He even told me when he first saw me that he didn't want some eleven year old working on him and to find a real doctor." The man indicated Jack. "I'm Christian." He stood and shook her hand.

"Anamaria." Anamaria said faintly, watching Jack. Christian seemed to get what was in her head because he walked around her and went to the door.

"Well, Anamaria, I'll leave you two be." And he was gone, closing the door softly behind him. Anamaria went over and sat on the edge of Jack's bed, fighting back he impulse to smooth the thick covers over top of his freezing cold skin.

"I know you're awake Jack." She said after a silent minute. "You can't play that with me." Jack's mouth twitched into a smile and her opened his eyes.

"Look what the Commodore dragged in." Jack said quietly, looking her over. "Had fun with Mulan?" Anamaria resisted the urge to smack him.

"I tried to tell you." She said, desperately. "I wanted to. He's joined Barbossa..."

"Yes, he has." Jack sighed and then a lopsided smile replaced the other, "You know luv..." He paused and watched her for a reaction, "Maybe the pirating business isn't for me. Maybe I should become a merchant sailor...or a bar owner...a blacksmith...baker..."

Anamaria grabbed his shoulder to stop him. "Why this new outlook on life?" She asked ignoring the cold now penetrating her skin as well. "You're a great pirate...you'd suck as a blacksmith."

"The Pearl is gone again." He said, shrugging away her hand. "He's gone again and I'm to old to go traipsing around looking for a new ship."

"You're my age Jack, not that old." Anamaria said, stung. Old? How dare he! He cocked an eyebrow at her, smile fading.

"I can't go looking for another ship and...Barbossa's gotten the best of me again. Face it luv...it's over."

"Don't call me luv." Anamaria said viciously, "And don't you dare give up."

"I'm not!" Jack yelled, wincing. "I'm looking at the cold hard facts! I'm to...I can't go after another ship! I can't hunt my enemies down all the time! I can't wait ten years for revenge because I don't have ten years and what prize will I get from Barbossa anyway? What does he have that I need?"

"Patience! Faith! Hope! Health! Willingness to sacrifice things for other things! And he knows where the treasure is!" Jack looked shaken by her outburst and Anamaria, slightly shaken herself, took a few breaths to calm herself and then grabbed his face in her hand, ignoring the cold. "But you have morals...friends, a crew that'll help you no matter what."

"Crew?" Jack asked, looking around the cabin. "You and Gibbs? And, what, James Norrington who will string me up the first chance he gets? Or Elizabeth who won't get her nails wet? Or Will who...who..." Jack stopped and looked at her, wide eyed. "They have Will and Bill."

"Well, what do you intend to do about it?" Anamaria asked. Jack closed his eyes and clenched his teeth.

"We're going traitor hunting!" He growled.

Alteng: Smack Anamaria? That's woman abuse! Well, I guess way back when there was no such thing so...no, Jack can't! I like strong women characters and I think, though Ana is a butthead, she's strong so...Ethaan's ship? I'll let ppl know a little more about that soon. With Norrington? Maybe he will let Jack go but...I don't think so. He's been chasing Jack for 4 years. You'll see at the end though...the ending may not be to pleasing however. Jack'll forgive me. He'll have to, or I'll erase him.

Sirhcevoli: Yeah, I can't figure out how to say it. Let me try though...Sir (as in knight) h (is silent) cev (sssseeevvv) oli (as in rolli-poli-oli). Good try? Anyways, sorry it took so long. I hope you liked it.

Kungfuchick: Yeah, you can forgive me because it's done! Anyways, He didn't kiss him...well...in a way he did.

DragonHunter200: it's okay about the favorite lines. I'll get over it but it'll be hard...sniff. Anyways, More horrifying? That's easy, Gibbs! Who would wanna kiss Gibbs? Especially if you're a guy yourself. Man, how late do you usually stay up? At 3 am I was asleep! Go hit kittens!

Padme17: hey, welcome to my little house of horrors! Thank you. I love cliffies but only when I'm writing them!

Gaze: I didn't know about the cpr thing but I said what the hey and did it. Thanx. Keep r and ring!