Disclaimer: POTC belongs to the guy that makes CSI! Wow!

As Squirrel slips back into her blouse and leggings, Elizabeth stands nearby, talking again. Squirrel smiles wryly as she listens to the rich woman, still slightly red from Jack's smile.

"… And I must say, you certainly caught Jack off-guard. Shell-shocked, if I may say so! I don't suppose you've ever worn a dress in your life?"

"N-not like th-that one. Actually… n-n-o, n-never."

As Squirrel steps out from behind the screen, she sees Elizabeth's surprised face. "Well I never!" Elizabeth gasps. "You poor thing!"

Squirrel reaches for her grey cloak, where it lies draped across a chair. Elizabeth steps forward and places a hand on Squirrel's wrist.

"Do you have to wear the cloak?" Elizabeth asks, despairingly, like a mother telling a child not to play in the mud for the thousandth time. Squirrel nods, frowning slightly. Elizabeth sighs, and releases Squirrel's hand.

"You have a beautiful face, Miss Grey." Elizabeth says kindly. "You shouldn't hide it all the time."

Squirrel blushes as red as a rose as she fastens the cloak around her shoulders and drops the hood over her head.

Once she's back downstairs, Squirrel and Jack part company with Will and Elizabeth and head back to the Black Pearl. He keeps looking at her sideways as they walk through the town, as if trying to catch a glimpse of her face under her hood. Finally, he breaks the silence as they near the docks.

"You looked pretty nice in that dress, if I may be so bold."

Squirrel's heart threatens to rip a hole in her chest, given the way it's beating. "Th-thankyou."

"Permission to speak freely, Miss Grey?" He bows ironically, drawing the attention of a handful of guards. Squirrel nods frantically, and begins to walk a bit faster. Jack grins, putting an arm around her shoulder and whispering into her ear.

"You didn't look pretty nice." He says. Squirrel frowns at him, confused. Jack grins, then adds. "You looked drop-dead-bloody-gorgeous."

The guards pick up their weapons and charge down the docks. Jack turns to grin back at them, waving his arms as if to say 'Here I am. Catch me if you can!'. Squirrel leaps off the dock and into the waiting boat, and Jack leaps after her. With a grin, he takes up a pair of oars and rows away. The guards raise their bayonets and aim.

Chance of survival? Squirrel thinks. 69 per cent. She ducks down low as the first few bullets whiz past her head. She suddenly realises something, and looks around.

"Where's M-Mister C-Cotton? And Gibbs?" She manages to squeak over the gunshots. The shots themselves become more and more inaccurate as Jack rows further away from the docks. Jack grins at her, gold teeth shining.

"They already went back to the Pearl, luv, not to worry."

Realisation sinks in. "S-So this isn't your b-boat?"

"Nup!"

Squirrel turns back to look at the redcoats on the docks. Their shouted obscenities can still be heard, and Squirrel winces at some of the more familiar ones. Ones her uncle used…

Squirrel lets her thoughts drift. Elizabeth said that Squirrel had a beautiful face. But that couldn't be right. Dawn was the kind of person who could be called beautiful. She could afford the finer clothes, the jewellery, the makeup… She had lovers by the dozen. Surely she was the more beautiful…

But Elizabeth had said that Squirrel was beautiful. And that was without her wearing any makeup, only a borrowed dress, and no jewellery except for…

Her amulet.

Squirrel's hand flies up to her throat. She lets out a sigh of relief to find that it is still there.

Jack must've heard her, but not understood the reason for her relief. "Don't worry, Squirrel. Once we reach the Pearl, we'll be outta Port Royal quick as we can, savvy?" He pauses mid-stroke. "Did you think about what I asked you, didn't you?"

Squirrel looks at Jack, thinking, then remembers. Jack had asked her if she wanted to officially become one of the crew. Squirrel bites her lip, thinking for a moment. Jack watches her silently. Finally, Squirrel smiles at Jack from under her hood.

"Aye, aye, c-c-captain!"

A/N: Hey, at least he didn't steal the boat underwater this time! … (hey, Elke thought it was funny…)