*Flashback* Jack barged into the small cabin, a wild grin on his face.

"Storm, where are ye?"

"Right here ye damn fool, no need to shout. What.?" The young woman had no time to finish her question before her lover took hold of her waist and lifted her nearly a foot off the ground.

"I'm goin' after it!" he exclaimed.

"Goin' after what?"

"The treasure of the Islas de Muerta!" Jack's face was bright with excitement.

"Islas de what? Slow down Jack, explain."

"Aztec gold luv, a whole chest of it! And I know how to find it! We'll be rich!"

"Rich?" Storm sounded interested, "Sounds like quite the adventure. Will you take me with you?"

"Of course, darling."

"Excellent," She smirked at her lover, "I think you're enjoying the view there a bit too much."

Jack smiled charmingly up at her, "Well it is beautiful scenery."

Storm winked, "Perhaps we should celebrate our new decision, eh?" she said nodding towards the bedroom.

"Exactly what I was thinking."

*

A few hours before dawn, Storm awoke. She reached out her arm to find Jack, so that she could snuggle up to him for warmth. Nothing. Confused, the woman sat up. Aside from her, the bed was empty.

"Jack?" she whispered.

She rose, looking around the dark room for some sign of him. His clothes were gone, as were the rest of his belongings. Slightly panicked, Storm whirled around, unsure of what to do. Where could he have gone? She thought feverishly. Then her eyes rested on a small scrap of paper on the night table. When Storm read the words scrawled on it she plopped down on the bed, unable to believe her eyes.

"Oh Jack." She sobbed. And she wept for the rest of the night.

How could he just leave her?

*End of flashback*

" 'Ere 'e is mumsy, Captain Jack Sparrow."

Jack sauntered through the cabin doors, looking around with interest. His eyes came to rest on Storm. She had changed, but all in good ways. She was no longer skinny, but still sleek and muscular. Working long hours in the Caribbean sun had given her a pleasant tanned complexion and instead of wearing her long black loose, as she used to, she had plaited it into numerous thin braids. She wore a blue bandana, knotted at the side of her head, and a colourful sash around her slender waist. Many weapons adorned her body, including a rapier and dagger on her belt and a sheathed throwing- knife strapped to each of her bare arms.

Storm was leaning back in her chair, arms folded across her chest and stared at Jack. Her gaze was completely unrevealing, her expression neutral. Even sitting down, she had a commanding presence, a true pirate captain.

"So here you are."

"Here I am," answered Jack with a mock bow.

"After twelve years." Her tone was even but her eyes, blazing with rage, betrayed her emotions.

"Bitter are we?"

Storm ignored the question and rose. "I suppose I should introduce you to your children." She gestured at the twins, "Jack Sparrow, these are Finndabhair (A/N: it's pronounced Finn-ah-veer for those who are not familiar with Gaelic) and Samantha O'Connor. We call'em Finn n' Sam for short." The twins gave pirate salutes, "Only they know which is which."

At this they both grinned mischievously.

"Can we stay?" asked one.

Storm paused, "Very well," she consented, "I suppose you have a right to know about your origins."

Finn and Sam exchanged a high-five, "Excellent!"

Storm smiled and turned back to Jack, "Well, truth be told, I had recovered from you leaving me but now that I see your face again, I find it hard to resist the urge to punch your lights out."

Jack grimaced, "You've already done that, luv." He remarked rubbing his nose.

"And I will continue to do so," Storm stated, her eyes boring into Jack's, "once for every day of the twelve that you abandoned me."

Jack thought that over for a moment, "So..how many punches is that?"

"4380, I believe," said Faye between sips of rum.

"Faye's our mathematics lady," interjected Sam proudly.

Faye winked at the girl, "Thank ye darlin' but I figured that out long before now. Your mum was ranting all last evening."

"We heard," commented Finn.

"Shhhh!"

Finn turned to her sister, "What?"

"Quiet!"

"But you.."

"Shhhhhhh!"

"Fine," Finn continued to mutter darkly under her breath. It sounded something like 'not even allowed to say two bloody words anymore'. She soon trailed off.

Struggling not to laugh at his newfound daughter's antics, Jack focused back on Storm, "You know luv, most women just slap me."

"Well," replied Storm, recrossing her arms, "I've never been like most women."

He stepped closer and leaned forward, "So I've noticed."

The pirate queen rolled her eyes and pushed him backwards, "You haven't changed at all, have you?"

Jack gave a mock bow, "Not in the least."

Storm smirked and rolled her eyes again, "At least yer constant."

"And that's a virtue."

"One of the few you have."

"You know luv," Jack said, ending their banter, "for what it's worth, I truly am sorry."

"Oh Jack," Storm turned away and padded over to the window. She stared at the harbour and the open sea beyond. "At the risk of sounding cliché, sorry isn't good enough."

Jack strode up to her side and placed a light hand on her shoulder. "I really did mean to come back, just.." He searched for words, "fate conspired against me."

Storm shrugged off his hand and faced him, one raven eyebrow raised, "So that's your excuse? Fate?" she asked incredulously.

"No, let me explain, luv."

The female buccaneer set her hands on her hips and took a step back, "This should be good."

Jack held out his hands pleadingly, "are you going to hear me out or not?"

With a sigh, Storm nodded, "Fine, let's hear it."

Jack launched into the story about losing the Pearl to Barbossa, the gold, the curse and the whole adventure of getting it back. Throughout the story, Storm listened impassively, though her daughter-and even Faye-paid rapt attention. Finn seemed especially impressed and at the end she clapped briefly-until Sam silenced her with a nod towards their mother.

"Well, that takes care of ten years," remarked Storm as she sat down and rested her booted feet on the table, "if it's true."

"It is," promised Jack, "I swear on a stack of bibles."

Storm regarded him oddly, "You're an atheist."

"It's still true."

"Well, supposing it is, what about the last two years?"

Jack shrugged, "Don't know. I suppose after all I'd been through I forgot about my promise to you. Ten years is a long time." He stopped when Storm held up a slender hand, a pained expression on her face.

"Twelve years is longer," she said earnestly. She sighed again and glanced at her children. "One morning, I woke up alone. After I'd discovered all your father's possessions were gone, I noticed a scrap of paper. On that scrap of paper were written fourteen words, 'Don't worry luv, gone after treasure, I'll be back in a year, I promise.'

I waited that year, after nine months I gave birth to Finn and Sam. I was sad that you weren't there but I thought 'In three months he'll see them!'

But you didn't. I waited the next year and the year after that. Still no sign. I held on though, 'cause I thought maybe you'd run into trouble."

"Which was true."

"Don't interrupt. I waited another six months and then I realized something. I was wasting my life. You weren't coming back. I decided right there and then that I had to focus on my daughters and on myself and not on your ghost. I had to get myself a today and give Finn and Sam a tomorrow. I sold nearly all I had and went to Tortuga. I found a place on a ship, along with Faye, she came with me." Faye winked, "It was a successful ship with a generous captain. After a year's time, I had enough gold to buy meself a ship of me own and hire a crew. Which I did. Same ship we're standing on. I named it the 'Rising Phoenix', know why?"

Jack shook his head.

"Because I managed to rise out of filth and ashes you left me in and become as you see me now. The only female pirate captain in the Caribbean. Not bad for a wee little tavern wench, eh?"

"Ooooo well spoken, mumsy," Sam was clapping this time.

"Come on, dad," goaded Finn, "are you just going to take that?"

"My daughters, eh?" chuckled Jack.

"Oh please," Storm snickered slightly, "If they were anymore your daughters they'd be wearing kohl, drinking rum and getting themselves hung."

"Can we?" inquired Finn. When her parents flashed her a strange look she clarified, "Not the getting hung part but the kohl and the rum?"

"We'll see," answered her mother "in seven years," she added.

Jack stared at her, astonished, "You would deny children of my blood rum? How could you?"

"Don't you start."

"Please, mum.captain," implored the twins.

"Oh Storm, let the girls try some rum," interjected Faye.

"Oh fine," Storm threw up her hands, "If it's a bloody mutiny then I'll give you rum tonight. If you can handle it, it'll be a regular thing."

Finn and Sam exchanged a high-five, "Yes!"

"But only if you can handle it," their mother warned.

"And the kohl," ventured Finn.

Storm cast her daughter a withering glance, "Don't push your luck."

"Out of curiosity," queried Jack, "Does me crew I'm here?"

"I ran into Anamaria," mentioned Faye, "She just laughed and said to give you your comeuppance."

Jack nodded, "She would. So what's going to happen Storm? Because it seems to me that if you were going to kill me, you'd have done it by now."

Storm shrugged, "Maybe I'm letting you twist in the wind."

"Wouldn't put it past you."

"The girls seem to like you," reflected the black-haired captain, "Can't imagine why.."

Finn piped up, "It's the novelty really."

"And he has his charm," added Sam, "Smile dad," Jack did, "See? How can you be mad at that face?"

"Because I know the brain behind it," Storm replied wryly. She frowned.

"I know that face," remarked Jack, "that's your something's-bothering-me- but-I'm-too-proud-or-angry-to-reveal-what-it-is face."

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Nevermind." Storm sighed again, she seemed to do that a lot when Jack was around.

"So what is it?"

"Hmmmmmmm?"

"What's bothering you? You look worried, luv."

Storm smiled sardonically, "Planning to come charging to my rescue as you used to?"

"I do want to make it up to you."

The female captain laughed outright at that, "Since when have you ever wanted to make it up to anyone? I mean, what's in it for you?"

Jack shrugged, "Not getting punched another 4379 times." He reasoned.

"Good point," conceded Faye.

"Whose side are you on?" questioned Storm, turning to her friend.

"Neither," Faye smiled innocently, "I'm more of a spectator."

"Storm," Jack held out his hands, his face-for once-was serious "just tell me. What do you have to lose?"

"Alright, I tell you."

******

A/N: Mwahahahahaha, ah cliffhangers. They're what keep you people reading my stories. Actually I was going to continue this chapter but I realized it would take too long so I decided to divide it into two. But don't fret, I shall update quickly (I hope). I would like to thank the following.

Sunshine Cammie: See I updated! Now you can't smack me *taunting voice*. Lol. But I'm glad you think it's good.

Random Character: Oh dear. Way to ramble. I should get you a patch or t- shirt that say "born to ramble." I think you talked about everything BUT the story in that last review. Lol. Ya, you're never seeing that $2.00 again. Ah busking, so much fun. Oh great, now I'm rambling, I think you're contagious. Lol. Perpetual Masquerade: Thanks for the support! I hope you continue to enjoy it.

Dreamgirl21147: A gal of few words are we? Lol. Well thanks; I hope to hear from you in the future.

Sara: Lmao! Thanks, but I don't think Will is going to be appearing in this story. Well, he might have a brief cameo at some point *thinks*. Anyway I don't do slash, get your mind out of the gutter. Lmao, talk to ya later.