Jack stood, rather deflated and annoyed at himself. Hands bound at the wrist in front of him and a pistol muzzle nestled into the back of his head.

Great.

Wonderful in fact.

Truly fucking wonderful.

Gritting his teeth he avoided Dorian's cold stare, Amber perched on the mans bed watching her 'husbands' every move with a pinched and nervous expression.

"So," Dorian began slowly turning his attention to a dirty fingernail. "You say you're the Captain Jack Sparrow himself."

Jack shrugged sheepishly,

"Aye."

"And you want what with my wife?" he glanced at Amber quickly, "John, take her out, this business needs taken care of without her watching."

Behind him a large fellow stepped forward and motioned for Amber to follow him. Jack raised an eyebrow and lifted a finger in Amber's direction.

"That would be because what he's about to discuss with me is nothing like the bullshit he's filled your mind with." the muzzle of the gun pushed hard against his scull and Dorian gave him a venomous glare.

"Dorian, can I not stay?" Amber asked looking at Jack and chewing on I lower lip.

"No." Dorian did not so much as look in her direction.

The door clicked shut. Dorian stood and offered Jack a cigarette.

"Poisons your lungs." he commented turning his face away at the reek that Dorian blew in his face.

"How do you know Amber?"

"Oh," Jack offered him a quick smirk, "so she's not Suzie?" Again he was stabbed in the back of the head with the muzzle. Sighing he swung round to meet the brute that held it at him.

"Alright alright, so you've got a gun at the back of my head, you don't keep needing to remind me." he snorted, "As if you'd have the balls to do anything with it except poke me to death with the bloody thing."

Dorian's eyebrows flew up and he motioned for the man to step away and put away the pistol.

"I trust we can talk in a gentlemanly fashion." he said taking a deep draw of the cigarette. "How do you know Amber, has somebody hired you?"

"Let her go Dorian, the whole of the English fleet are sailing out here as we speak, hand her over to me and you can go on your merry way." he gave the man a encouraging smile, "And we'll have nothing more said on the matter."

Dorian tipped his head back and laughed much to Jack's annoyance.

"Hand her over? As a pirate I would have thought you of all people would know how much that bitch is worth." he shook his head still chuckling, "Perhaps that is the interest you have in her." he smiled, "The money."

Jack thought, more and more he was beginning to doubt that Amber was forth cousin of the queen, more and more he was begging to suspect something far bigger brewing in the distance.

"Who is she Dorian?" Jack narrowed his eyes on the bastered.

"Keeps it well hidden don't she?" he laughed sucking on the remains of the cigarette and flicking it to the floor. "Shame really, pirate. Shame you've fallen for her." he shook his head and slowly took out a pistol from his belt, "I did to. I really loved her you know, I guess I still really love her." he sighed wistfully as he filled the pistol with powder, "But I love the money, I'm too greedy Sparrow, for my own good and for everybody else's good." a sad expression fell across him face. "It's been really good having her back the past few months, after all this time I finally got her into bed." he chuckled, "Used to be frigid did Amber, but not Suzie." he grinned at the tightness in Jacks jaw and finished with his pistol.

"She's the air to the throne Jack, may I call you Jack?"

"Call me whatever the hell you want." Jack muttered feeling his shoulders sag.

"Well, your Amber, my Suzie she is future Queen and the one of the only people that can get within looking distance of the Devil's eye." he motioned for the thug to open the door to his cabin. "Let's go shall we."

Outside the air had turned cold, Amber stood with several other men watching as he and Dorian came out of the cabin.

"It's him Suzie." Dorian called to Amber. "It's the bastered that had you."

Amber looked at Jack quickly; she could see the hateful look he threw at Dorian.

"It your choice Amber love, you can believe me or stay with him," Jack's dark eyes bored into hers and she watched as Dorian lifted the pistol and aimed at the pirate's chest.

Hatred filled her, but she struggled to direct it anywhere. There was something about the pirate that told her that he was telling the truth yet she saw only anger and burning in his smouldering eyes.

"Suzie, its time he paid the price for what he did to you."

"Amber the scars you talk about, the burns on your skin." Jack nodded to Dorian, "Is it not your so called husband that holds the cigarette."

Amber's eyes fell to the burning embers that Dorian had freshly lit.

"It means nothing." she snapped, her voice stronger than what she felt.

"Would you like to do the honours Amber?" Dorian's eyes gleamed as Amber's ears pricked to his mistake. Jack grinned, teeth catching on the flickering lights of the lanterns.

"No?" he took aim with the pistol, "It's ok my love I'll do it."

Amber stood rooted to the spot, flooded with thoughts.

"Stop." she said gently reaching out and putting a hand on the top of the pistol. Dorian frowned and glanced down at her.

"Two months Dorian," she said softly glancing back at the pirate that now held all her memories and past experiences. "And you had me, you really did." she gave him a watery smile, "It took you two months and a pirate to let me know the truth. But you slipped up."

Dorian's eyes filled with rage as he realised his mistake. He pulled the trigger on the pistol without taking his eyes off of Amber.

Jack had not been expecting the bastered to shoot without so much as a glance in his direction, he was thankful at least that he didn't look, then perhaps the aim would not have been quite so off. Never the less, the pain that exploded from his shoulder forced him back and made him land heavily on his side, blood already pulsing out of the wound.

Before there was another breath taken lights began flickering on to the left and right of Dorian ship. In the blackness of night he had been stalked, and in the blackness of night two ships had been floating without notice in an ambush that he had just awoken. As the other ship lit their lanterns canons were fired and a war began.

Amongst the sudden panic that filled the ship Amber ran to the pirate as he struggled to pull his hands from the bindings.

"Are you ok?" she gasped glancing down at the blood stained deck.

"Wonderful." Jack muttered back holding his hands out to her, "Would you be so kind?"

Amber nodded and tugged at the ropes, finally free she peered at the wound.

"You've been shot." she put a knuckle to her mouth a bit down fearing she may scream with fear of the cannon fire.

"Oh," Jack glanced dubiously at the bloodied shoulder, "I didn't realise."

Wincing he staggered to his feet and gave a wave towards the dark shadow of the Pearl, he knew somewhere that Gibbs would be looking to see he was alright.

"Captain Sparrow," Amber rushed behind him as he drew his sword dodging men here and there. They weren't really interested in him at the moment, most to frightened to even contemplate drawing a sword. An ambush was an ambush and it was a sure death if they did not comply.

"It's Jack," he swung round and almost glared at her. "Do you not think that enough has gone on for you still to be calling me Captain Sparrow." he mimicked her voice and threw his hands in the air.

"That's the thing. I don't know what's-" she dropped to the floor as the whir of a cannon flew over her head, "gone on . I don't remember."

Jack wasn't listening; his eyes scanned the jolly boats, measuring how easy it would be to get one over the side of the ship with a bullet in his shoulder. Gritting his teeth he gave the winch a tentative tug. Pain seared through his arm and erupted in his shoulder and neck. Cursing he turned to Amber and glared at the other side of the winch.

"Don't just stand there woman!" he growled, "If you want off this piece of shit then get your fingers wrapped around that rope."

Eager to comply Amber stepped forward but stopped instantly as a sword appeared before her, it severed the winch roped and the jolly boat collapsed on one side.

"You're not taking her anywhere Sparrow." came Dorian's angry hiss. "I nearly lost her once and nothing, not even you is going to deny me the fortune she offers."

Growling in annoyance Jack swung round to meet Dorian's hateful gaze, the pain in his shoulder was sending waves of nausea through his whole body but still he met the bastereds eyes.

"Do you not think you're out numbered? I have…" Jack paused to catch his breath and reach out to the lopsided longboat. "Two ships against your one."

"Draw your sword Sparrow. Your reputation as a swordsman is exceedingly good, perhaps its time I saw for myself." he grinned as the tip of his own sword wavered inches from Jacks chest.

"Don't be silly Dorian; you know fine well he's injured in his fighting side." Amber interrupted glancing at Jack, indeed the bullet wound was in the shoulder opposite his sheath.

"A good swordsman should be able to fight with either arm."

Again Amber opened her mouth to object but was caught of guard as Jack drew his sword with difficulty, wincing he swapped it into his other hand. The metal felt alien in this hand, heavy and clumsy within his grasp.

"A gentleman would keep the fight fair," he said nodding at Dorian's sword. "Swap you hand and you have a deal."

Dorian hesitated before switching the immaculate weapon from one hand and into the other.

"Deal."

Amber watched horrified as Dorian raised his sword and sent it clattering against Jack's. Within minutes it was evident that both men were struggling with their non preferred hand, Dorian more so. Knowing he was weaker Amber watched as her captor sidestepped and swapped his sword back into his stronger hand.

"No!" she covered her mouth with a shaking hand as they continued the dangerous dance, blades clashing and feet stumbling over the deck. Jack was slowing, bloody dripping down one arm and sweat slicking his brow. Breathing hard he turned to her and nodded to the edge of the ship.

"Get to the Pearl," he ducked a high swipe, "You'll need to-" he lifted his blade to stem another attack. "Swim."

"I'm not going without you." she called, her fingernails digging into the palms of her hands.

Knowing his battle was lost, Jack sighed ruggedly. Pain and exhaustion washed over him, draining him of every last once of energy he had left.

"Fine," he muttered as at last Dorian knocked his blade out of his hand. "I'll come with you."

Giving his rival a mocked salute he charged at Amber, Dorian swiped out at him as he turned his back, a stinging burn of his blade catching across his back was enough to motivate him further. Still running he grabbed Amber round the waist and pushed her over the barrier and into the inky blackness of the sea. He followed suit.

The shock of the water knocked all breath from Amber's chest, she gasped and choked as she surfaced.

"Jack?" she called to the surrounding darkness, "J-"

"I'm here," he answered from behind her, "Get moving love or he'll turn his pistols our way."

Not a second later came the heart sinking bang of a musket. Merely two feet from Jack the water swallowed a bullet. Panicking Amber began to swim towards the huge black expanse of the Pearl, guided only by the small flickered lanterns that adorned its deck she struggled on checking now and again that Jack was still following her. The distance between them was growing as the water stole more and more of the pirates blood, Amber could see the exhaustion and pain on his face.

"Give me you hand." she paddled back and reached out to him, another bullet whirred passed them.

"I'm fine, keep going." He muttered back momentarily stinking below the inky water.

"Jack!" Amber reached out again and felt the wet fabric of his shirt. Holding him as best she could see turned to continue her swimming but was caught of guard by the long boat that had appeared out of the blackness.

"Here missy, pass me him over." a heavily bearded man said reaching over the edge of the boat and grabbing hold of Jack's shoulders. Another man slipped his hands under Amber's arm pit and hauled her into the boat.