Katrina couldn't help giving a huge sigh of relief. She glanced to her left and saw Jack looking at her.

"Thanks for that, Sparrow."

"Captain Sparrow, luv. May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?"

He sounded strangely polite for a pirate. As she was stood next to him, Kat realised that he wasn't much taller than she was. Those two pirates had towered over the both of them.

"Katrina."

"Katrina what?"

"Just Katrina," she frowned at his persistence. He paused as if in deep thought and Kat watched his facial expressions with interest. He was a very strange person, but it seemed to be a good trait with him.

"So, Miss Katrina. If that 'bit o' shine' matters not to you, you wouldn't mind me keeping it would you?"

"No!" Kat exclaimed without thinking and covered her locket with her hand protectively. Jack smiled at her; she knew she'd been caught out.

"I think, Miss Scorer you may be a better liar than even me."

Katrina opened her mouth and closed it again. He had guessed her secret! It was as if he could read her thoughts like a book and she didn't like it.

"I have to go," she told him quietly and began to walk forward but he ran ahead of her, blocking her way. Kat was irritated.

"Move Sparrow!"

"I can't let you go, luv. It wouldn't be safe to send you out into the night all on your onesies with pirates on the loose."

"But you're a pirate on the loose."

He raised a floppy hand with his fore-finger pointing upwards. "Ah. But this pirate saved your life and now, he can't just walk away when it's obvious ye've got nobody to watch out for you."

Her eyes flashed and she crossed her arms angrily. "I can take care of myself! I'm not a damsel in distress!"

"Yes, you're right. A damsel in distress would be much more grateful to her rescuer. And unless you want me to call you 'Scorer' in front of everyone, I'd advise that you either call me 'Jack' or 'Captain Sparrow', savvy?"

Katrina shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other and looked back to meet Jack's eyes.

"I am grateful…Jack. But I've spent my whole life looking out for myself and I've not had that much experience at being grateful. This locket is the only valuable thing I own, so I can't give you anything in return…"

"I can think of something, luv." Jack said seductively, walking slowly towards her and smiling suggestively.

For a moment Kat felt herself sink into his eyes, but caught herself just in time to deliver a hard slap to his cheek.

"Not sure I deserved that, luv." Jack told her sincerely, the light from his eyes and his cheeky smile now gone.

"I WON'T be taken for a whore, Sparrow! I've yet to meet a man who has anything else on his mind."

"Well, that's probably because you're so irresistible darlin'." Jack's roguish grin was back. He was determined to charm her, but she wasn't having any of it.

"Save it, Sparrow. I'm going now, goodnight!" Katrina stalked past him haughtily.

"Where are ye off to?"

"It's none of your business!" Kat didn't even bother glancing round.

"You don't know where ye're going, do you?"

Katrina stopped and turned back to face him, her cheeks flushed with anger. This guy was really starting to annoy her.

"Of course I do! I'm… I'm going home."

"Ah, in that case, allow me to accompany you to your front door."

"No! I'll go on my own!" Katrina widened her eyes in exasperation and turned to leave again. She held her head up as she walked away, hoping she looked like she had some idea where she was going. But of course, she didn't have the first clue. She decided to glance behind to see if Jack was still watching her. She turned around and saw him about a centimetre behind her. She wasn't really a nervy person, but this time she jumped right out of her skin.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

"I'm following ye to your imaginary home." Jack grinned at the livid expression on Kat's face. "Look luv, ye need to get out of this place."

"I know I do. And I can do it without your help!" Kat said through gritted teeth. "You don't seem to understand that I prefer being on my own!"

A short silence passed before Jack said impassively, "No, ye're right, I don't."

He tried to steer Kat away but she gave a screech of annoyance. "Get off me! What do you think you're playing at?"

"I'm takin' ye with me."

"You can't just 'take' me! I'm a human being – not a…a bottle of rum!" Kat elbowed him hard in the stomach and he released her.

"A bottle of rum would be better than you any day, luv." Jack muttered, feeling the pain of her elbow.

"Shut up. I'm not going anywhere, so you can just - AAAAGGGHHHH! SPARROW! PUT ME DOWN!"

Jack had unexpectedly picked her up and now she was unwillingly draped upside down over his shoulder, kicking and screaming. Jack pulled faces at her writhing and kicking and started to run as well as he could to where some rowing boats were near the shore. Kat was furious at the control he had over her and at her incapability to make him release her. She pounded her fists on his back and kicked him as hard as she could, yelling at the top of her voice.

"Easy on the goods darling!" Jack exclaimed in a strangled voice. It wasn't every day he had to endure merciless kicking in that area.

When he got there, he dropped Kat to the ground and pinned her down so she couldn't escape. He saw that she was still in a rage, her eyes were bright and she hadn't stopped fighting against him. Her dark hair was spread out behind her and her locket had been knocked sideways. For a second Jack just stared at her.

"Get off me! I mean it, Sparrow!"

"Now that's not very polite, is it?" Jack taunted, still on top of her. He was grinning, so she noticed that some of his teeth were gold for the first time.

"Do you want me to kick you again?" Katrina's voice was fierce. Jack's grin disappeared.

"Sorry, luv."

"Why are you trying to make me come with you?"

"Ye're Scarlet Scorer's daughter! There's a lot o' pirates yer mother upset and most of them are determined to get 'er back somehow. That means hunting you down, as you discovered tonight, savvy?"

"But…how does kidnapping me get back at her? She's dead, she can't do anything!"

"Nevertheless they're out to get ye, so the only place you'll be safe is on my ship."

Katrina dropped her eyes from his and mumbled stubbornly, "I don't need protecting."

"But you do need a bit of freedom. Adventure." He spoke the words as if they tasted good.

Kat, still pinned to the ground, looked up at the black night sky as she searched in her mind for an answer. She had always felt something inside her whenever the subject of piracy was brought up. The same feeling of power and excitement rippled through her like when had fought with the cutlass earlier. The idea of just sailing away on a ship elated her. She wanted adventure in her life, she wanted change. And more than anything else, she wanted to experience the life her mother had led. She looked back at Jack who was waiting patiently for an answer. As eager as she was to go, she would never show it.

"I'll come with you then, Sparrow," she spoke in a placid, almost bored tone. "But it's not because I want you to protect me. I just fancy a change of scenery, that's all. Now will you let me up?"

"You're not going to kick me and run off are ye?"

"No, I promise." Kat said with a trace of a smile.

He let go of her arms and they both stood up. Jack squinted into the distance and then swaying on the spot, he exclaimed in a delighted tone,

"There's me ship!" He knew his crew wouldn't desert him. Not like the previous pack of traitors.

Katrina turned to look at the sea lapping at the edge of the shore and the moonlight shining on the water. Then she helped Jack overturn the wooden rowing boat and push it down the slope to the sea.

nightmaregirl: Thanks for reviewing! Don't give up on your fanfic!

InToDepp: Thank you! I'm glad you said what you did. I love your pen name (mine is really crap).

Karibbean: I agree – Katrina is great name. I've looked up your story and will look forward to reading it. Thanks for your review!

Drama Queens rule: The secret is that Kat is the daughter of a pirate called Scarlet Scorer. Don't worry, more is explained later on. Thanx 4 reading!

kerri-carri: THANKS SO MUCH! And cool name by the way!