In the dark cabin Kat shifted on the hard floor uncomfortably. She looked over at the bed, just making out Jack's still form through the darkness. She'd been on the Black Pearl for a week now and she and Jack had agreed to take turns sleeping on the floor. Kat pulled the blanket tightly around her and shut her eyes, thinking about the past week. Life on the ship was better than she had expected it to be - the crew treated her almost like a fellow pirate and she had found a sisterly friendship with Anamaria. But what had changed most of all was her opinion of Jack.

Although his manner towards her was still flirtatious, there was also a sort of friendship between them. What surprised her most of all was that he didn't seem entirely like the notorious pirate that his reputation suggested. He was definitely a dedicated pirate who had lived through many adventures, but underneath all that she saw that he was a good man. Somehow she didn't see him as a typical pirate who scared the lives out of innocent people and killed unnecessarily. All Jack seemed to want was his ship and the freedom of the sea. Kat had realised that she admired him for knowing exactly what he wanted out of life. Finally, she felt herself drift away into sleep. For a couple of hours she slept soundly, until she began to dream:

Scarlet stood on the side of The Lagoon, her russet coloured tresses blowing in the wind under her black bandana. Her hands were bound together and she was gagged so there was no chance of jumping over the side and swimming away. These men wanted her to die in the most painful way possible. The pirates were jeering and yelling at her, weapons pointed forward as her crew watched helplessly from where they were tied up. They had taken her ship and her crew and she knew that there was no chance that they would spare her life. But they weren't going to kill her straight away; they wanted to torment her first.

"Any last thoughts, before we shoot ye down to the bottom of the sea? Ye'd better hurry, the fish are hungry."

They all laughed wildly and Scarlet cursed them vehemently in her head and her hands scrabbled to pull down the gag but it was too tight.

"Oh and aren't we forgetting something gents? She has a daughter, don't ye Scarlet? Well ye needn't worry about her – we'll tell her yer wanted to see her one last time. And that ye never meant to abandon her and ye love her really."

The pirate's tone was sarcastic and cruel. Scarlet couldn't stop the flow of tears that fell from her eyelids. She wished as hard as she could that Katrina would do alright in the world and lead a better life than she had. Then there was silence and for the first time in her life, Scarlet Scorer was afraid. She closed her eyes, one last teardrop sliding down her cheek before the sound of twenty or so gunshots sounded. Her crew watched in horror as the bullets hit their captain and she fell over the side of her ship, never to be seen again.

Kat suddenly jolted awake, breathing heavily in distress. She sat up and found she was shaking. That dream…it had seemed so real. From across the room, Jack got out of his bed and kneeled beside her on the floor. She turned towards him, wondering why he was still awake. He looked sleepy but she could see the concern in his dark eyes.

"What's the matter, luv? Ye're shaking like a leaf." Jack asked her, seeing the pain in her eyes.

"I just had the worst dream…it's so weird, I never usually remember my dreams." Kat suddenly tensed as she felt the dream stir in her mind. "I'm fine, Jack. It was just a nightmare. Go back to sleep."

"No, I can't sleep." Jack gave a small smile. "Come on, tell ol' Jack what it was. If ye keep it inside, ye'll never get back to sleep."

Kat looked at him and then sighed. "The dream was about my mother. I think I saw how she died. She was on the side of her ship with her hands tied and her mouth gagged and her crew was tied up. All the pirates were pointing their pistols at her and they were telling her that she'd never have a chance to say goodbye to me. Then they…shot her. Do you think that really happened, Jack? Was that how she died – do you know?"

"I believe so, luv." Jack replied gently. "I didn't know the crew who did it, but apparently they wanted revenge on Scarlet for some reason."

"Whatever she did when she went to sea, I was never a part of it. She didn't want to be a mother to me, so why was she thinking about me in her last moments?" Jack didn't reply, not knowing what to say. Kat looked at him and realised that she'd have to explain. She was going to tell him the truth about Scarlet Scorer.

"My mother was selfish and most of the time I hated her. She had a chance to make a new life with me, but she just couldn't keep to it. When she was pregnant with me her crew was caught by the Royal Navy. All of her crew were hanged, but she got let off because she had a living child inside her. She had to promise to settle down and bring up her baby properly. But we were poor and the only way we could get money for food was if she sold herself to men. She wasn't just a pirate – she was a whore. Not many people knew that. She took on a new identity so nobody recognised her name and that's how she brought me up.

There was a old woman living next door who she'd pay with the money she made from the streets to look after me whilst she ran away to be a pirate again. She picked up another crew, stole another ship and I only saw her every couple of years. I couldn't understand why she kept leaving me. When I was older – about fourteen or fifteen – I'd argue with her and tell her not to go. By this time the woman looking after me had died but she thought I was old enough to look after myself. She just couldn't keep away from the life of piracy. She did teach me useful things like sword-fighting to protect myself and to never let men disrespect me. But she was never there for me when I needed her. She left when I was sixteen and never returned.

You might think she was a wonderful pirate but to me she was just a whore and a bad mother. I heard that she had been killed at sea, but I never knew how. Of course, I did love her. We had some great times. She'd tell me amazing stories of piracy from the high seas and when I was little I thought the world of her. I always used to wear this locket because she wanted me to. I don't know why I still bother to now; it just feels like a part of me."

Kat lay back down, feeling very tired. Now that she had told Jack what she had kept hidden inside her for years, she felt like she had finally let go of her past. Jack was still next to her, having listened intently to her every word. He couldn't believe that Kat was opening up to him like this. Since he had met her St Lucia, she always seemed so proud and independent. But now she seemed fragile.

"How did ye get by all on yer onesies?" he asked her, although she had closed her eyes.

"I had to live in St Lucia, with everyone thinking she had only been a whore. They didn't know she was Scarlet Scorer, the pirate. So then I met Mary and she let me live with her. She was a whore and she thought I was too – but instead I just seduced men and stole their money. I'd been doing it for years, but she found out the night the pirates raided the town so I couldn't stay there any more. They'd hang me in a shot for being a pickpocket. And then you saved me from those pirates and took me aboard your ship with you."

Jack looked at Kat's face on the pillow and saw that she had fallen asleep. He carefully pulled the blanket over her up to her shoulders and then climbed back into his bed.

Reviewer response:

Badr: Hiya, thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you like Katrina's personality – I do too, I really wish I was more like her! I didn't really understand what you meant when you mentioned Anamaria, sorry!

kerricarri: I can't wait to read your PotC fic when it comes out! Today at school, my friend Rachel really insulted me by saying that Johnny Depp was 'weird' and a 'bad actor'! HOW CAN ANYONE SAY THAT? I can't wait for the sequel! I never saw the first one in the cinema so when it comes out, I'll probably go to see it about ten times! I think they're filming it already – I've seen some photos of Keira Knightley wearing a wedding veil…and there'll be a third one too? WOO HOO! That scene you described is classic. When I watched it with my four year old cousin she couldn't stop saying 'I half expected it to be made of wood' and she kept calling Jack 'Captain BLACK Sparrow!'! thankyouthankyouthankyou for the review!

InToDepp: Jack is definitely very complex and so is Kat, so (although they can't see it) there aren't that many differences between them. Jack is just so clever (for a pirate!) and he says so many good lines in the movie that it's hard to write his dialogue in a story. He doesn't say much in this chapter, does he? Anyway, thanks again!

Aluna: Thank you! I am so envious of dark brunettes like my friend and Katrina! I don't mind being blonde, but very dark hair would be my second choice!

Karibbean: Hi, I really think your story should have got more reviews because it's really well written. I love how you've inserted her into the film so that although the plot is sort of the same, she changes things like causing Jack to lose his weapon up on the beams. I decided not to make this story very romancey (although romance is in the genre) because it's just not Jack or Kat…but that doesn't mean nothing's going to happen…!

Amy: Hiya and thanx for reviewing! I'm glad you like it – so far! I'll do my best to keep Jack as much Jack as possible! I love Johnny Depp! In I.T. today at school I was secretly going on the DeppImpact site! Despite what some stupid girls said to me – he is NOT a minger!