Usual disclaimers :(

With thanks to Chelsey, Orli's Hot Chick, Miss Sophia, A Depp Girl, johnny'shumilatedgrape, Kat (what are you on, girl!), and especially Hils for editing when she's a poorly bunny hugs

Chelsey congrats on art school and well done re: the play!

A Depp Girl and Kat – thank you!

A bit of bad news. For the foreseeable future, I shall only be posting one chapter a week, either on a Saturday or Sunday. I am not that far ahead of myself where the story is concerned and my little fingers have been flying across the keyboard the past couple of nights. As soon as I have a backlog of chapters again, I shall revert to two chapters a week. Ani

Chapter nine: 'Damn his eyes! We need to do something about Sparrow and soon.'

'I am surprised, George,' Commodore Beauchamp admonished. 'A little disappointed even.' He surveyed the damage to HMS Adventurer, caused by Anamaria's ship, the Lone Star, and shook his head slowly.

'I guess they thought they'd got nothing to lose, Sir,' Captain Farrier replied in his defence. 'I shall not underestimate the next one.'

'I know you shan't and it's not like it happens often, eh?' he chuckled wryly, knowing that this was the first time that a ship that George Farrier captained had been damaged to this extent.

'Let's just hope that more of them decide not to hit back.'

Elias Beauchamp turned and regarded his captain and friend for long moments, a slight frown on his face. 'They won't… will they?'

'I honestly do not know, Sir. Most are the usual drunken sots who can barely sail a dory, let alone an armed sloop. But there are some who actually seem to possess some sort of intelligence. They don't come at us with all guns firing and thinking they can blow us out of the water. They are more measured in what they do.'

'Any sign of Sparrow?'

'Not recently, no,' Farrier replied, shrugging his shoulders ruefully. 'But we should be hearing some news soon.'

'You have a man in place already?' The Commodore raised his eyebrows, the corners of his lips twitching to a half smile.

'I do,' the captain of the Adventurer chuckled. 'I most certainly do.'

Jack grinned as he spotted his wife tending to some flowers in the garden. He crept up on her and patted her backside, making her jump. 'I've been talking to th'carpenter about a crib for th'babe,' he smiled, feeling pleased with himself.

'Why?' Jenny asked. 'It's far too early yet and besides, what about Josh Browning, the ship's carpenter. You don't want to put his nose out of joint.'

'Aw, come on Jen,' Jack urged. 'I won't get ashore that often before th'babe is born so we might as well start buyin' things for th'nursery.'

'No and that is my final answer!' Jenny replied emphatically. 'I don't want to tempt fate, Jack…'

'There is no Valentine to hurt you now, eh?'

'No, just the British bloody Navy! You will be back before the baby is due, so we will get things orgnaised then.'

'But…'

'No!'

'All right,' Jack sighed, taking a step towards his wife and hugging her. 'I'm sorry I upset ya, and you're right about Josh. I'll get him ter make a crib nearer th'time, savvy?'

'Thank you,' Jenny breathed. 'I know I'm a bit… well, fussy.'

'No more than usual,' Jack chuckled, yelping as she spanked his bottom. 'Come on, let's go an' sit under th'tree.' They walked to the palm at the end of the garden and sat in the shade, Jack leaning against the tree with Jenny in his arms.

'I wonder how Patience is?' Jenny wondered. 'I hope Billy and Luke found them all right.'

'Billy Wheeler can find his way anywhere,' Jack laughed. 'Especially if trouble's to be had.'

'Oh yes,' Jenny agreed, a grin splitting her face. 'I do hope they come back soon, I miss her and Shay.'

'Be good practise fer Shay, all this with th'Navy.'

'So you're still going ahead with it?' Jenny had been a little afraid Jack would have second thoughts about giving up the captaincy.

'Yes luv,' he promised. 'I haven't changed my mind, an' nor will I.'

'Good,' she smiled, nestling back against him contentedly.

Captain George Farrier knocked on the door to the Commodore's office and waited until he was called before entering. He removed his hat and saluted smartly, a grim expression on his face.

'What's happened?'

'I have some bad news, Sir. My spy has sent word that the pirates have formed a brotherhood of sorts. He has also said that they were intending to, or probably by this time, have hit at least three of our ships and bases - Grand Turk, English Harbour in Antigua and Charlestown in Nevis.'

Elias Beauchamp sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. 'How many pirates are involved in this brotherhood?'

'Around a dozen I believe. Led by Jack Sparrow…'

'Damn his eyes! We need to do something about Sparrow and soon.'

'I am currently trying to find out the location of where his wife lives. I believe we can use her as a way of getting him,' Captain Farrier informed his superior.

'Good idea - any clues yet?'

'No,' he sighed. 'I believe something happened before, something regarding his wife, but I can't find out what. Sparrow is tighter than a barrel when it comes to personal information.'

'Is your spy in a position to find out any personal information?'

'He is, Sir,' Farrier smiled thinly. 'I shall send word to him to find out what he can and see if he can find the location of where Jenny Sparrow lives.'

'Good man. Is it worth going to the bases and assessing the damage?'

'It would leave Port Royal woefully undermanned,' Farrier reasoned. 'If the pirates are starting to hit back, we need all the manpower we can get here.'

'Yes, I agree,' the Commodore nodded. 'Very well, we shall leave it a while. I will send Lieutenant Carter as acting captain, to the bases on the Blue Whale – we can spare that at least.

'Is she ready yet, Sir? There hasn't been much time for her to be re-fitted – she hasn't even been re-classified as HMS Whale. What if pirates spot her and believe that she is still one of their ships?'

'That's something Carter will have to deal with. If the worst should happen, I would rather lose a former pirate ship with a few men manning her, than the whole fleet.'

'Very well, Sir. I shall issue him with his orders right away.'

'Thank you, George. What would I do without you?'

Jack crept down the stairs of his house, hating himself for sneaking away from Jenny while she was still asleep. But he did not think he could face her tears, not this time. So he left her a note on her dresser and stole from the room with the expertise of a man used to creeping silently. He prayed that the Pearl was anchored in the harbour where she was supposed to be, and that no-one would spot her and wonder at the sudden appearance. But the town was as quiet as he skulked into a boat moored at the wharf and gently stroked the oars through the water towards where his ship should be.

'To the Brotherhood!' William Moody cried, raising his mug in salute.

'The Brotherhood!' the other pirates chorused, returning the salute in a cacophony of noise.

'Yer quiet, Jack,' Edward Teach said, regarding his friend and cohort after the noise had died down.

'Eh? Ah, I'm all right,' Jack grinned, flashing his gold teeth, then allowing his mind to wander back to Jenny and wondered if she would forgive him for sneaking off the way he had a week previously, after Teach had moved on.

'I say we make a move on Port Royal!' Samuel Bellamy announced, his voice carrying to the four corners of The Faithful Bride.

'Tell th'whole fuckin' world, why don't ya!' Batholomew Roberts growled, glaring angrily at the shamefaced man.

'It's too early ter make a move on Port Royal anyway,' Jack informed the crowd of men. 'Ya can guarantee that th'Commodore will want to find out what's happened on at least one of th'islands, so at least one of th'ships won't be in th'harbour an' there's no point in attackin' if there aren't any ships ter destroy.'

'They won't know about it yet,' Thomas Tew argued.

'I'll bet ya they do…'

'I agree with Jack,' Teach put in. 'New travels as fast around th'Navy as it does around us pirates. They'll know.'

'So what do we do now then?' another, unseen voice asked.

'Attack th'forts that don't have ships,' Roberts told him. 'Th'less tars and redbacks there are, th'easier it'll be fer us when we do attack Port Royal, eh?'

'Aye!' the pirates roared as one, eagerly filling their mugs from the jugs that Bledri Jenkins, the proprietor, had placed on the tables.

'Here! What you doin' there?' Andrew McCarrick grabbed the newest crewman, Pauly Wilson, by the scruff of the neck and hauled him away from the door of Jack's cabin, where a meeting between Jack, Edward Teach, Batholomew Roberts and Thomas Tew was taking place.

'I-I was j-just wonderin' whether ter offer them ale or summat,' Wilson stammered, looking fearfully at the bulky Scotsman. 'I-I wasn't doin' anythin' w-wrong…'

'On yer way!' Drew growled, shoving the hapless man along the corridor and away from the cabin. 'An' if I see you hangin' around th'captain's cabin again – yer in trouble, ya hear?'

'Y-yes,' Pauly stammered. 'I-I won't do it again…'

'What's goin' on?' Jack demanded as he opened the door and glared at Drew.

'Nothin' Cap'n,' he replied nonchalantly. 'Nothin' at all.'

'Fine, but keep th'bleedin' noise down, eh?'

'Aye, Sir.'

'Sorry about that gentlemen,' Jack apologised as he shut the door and turned back into his cabin.

'That's all right,' Edward Teach grinned. 'We're all used ter it on our own bloody ships!'

'So, we're agreed on attacking the bases at Cayman, Monsterrat, St. Lucia and Bridgetown then?' Jack asked of his fellow pirate captain's seated around his table.

'Aye,' they all agreed.

'Right,' Jack grinned. 'I'll take Cayman being as I've got th'fastest ship an' Cayman is nearest ter Port Royal. Who wants th'others?'

The men conferred, bandying the remaining islands about as if they were mere trinkets they wanted for their favourite whore, until they were all satisfied with who was to attack where.

Early May

'Sir!' George Farrier knocked curtly on his superior's office and walked in without being beckoned.

'What has happened?' Elias Beauchamp asked, knowing it was serious, so did not admonish his captain.

'They are going to attack the smaller forts – those without ships. There was a meeting in Tortuga and on Sparrow's ship, and they are on their way now. What shall we do?'

The Commodore sighed heavily and pushed away some papers he had been working on. 'We don't know which forts?'

'No Sir, my informant could not find out.'

'Then whilst the mice are away, the cat shall play. They hit our bases – we hit theirs.'

'We're going to attack Tortuga?'

'Yes, George,' the Commodore replied gravely.

'Very good, Sir. I shall go and informed the other captain's immediately. When shall we be leaving?'

'In the morning.'

Four days later

Shay Connelly looked around the cabin at the group of people containing his two brothers, Finan and Lanty, Finan's wife, Sive and their two small sons, his crewmates, Billy Wheeler and Luke Martin and finally at his wife's terrified face, and sighed. Pirates had attacked the ship that had brought them from Ireland and Billy had invoked the right of parley with Captain Vegas who had agreed to take them to Tortuga, for a price. Now he had amended that, deciding to take a hostage until Jack arrived back in Tortuga and bought his freedom. Shay had volunteered immediately, drawing gasps from his relatives, not least Patience, who clutched their two-month-old daughter, Erin, tightly to her chest.

'I'm sorry, cailin,' he apologised at the horrified look in her eyes. 'I just want ter get ye all ashore safely.'

Patience did not answer – terror at what might, could happen had struck her dumb, and she just stared at him.

'Vegas has kept this word so far - no harm has come to us so I doubt he'll harm me now there's a chance of reward from Jack,' Shay reasoned.

'Kept his word?' she cried, anger finally giving her a voice. 'He's reneged on th'accord an' his crew have taken everythin' we had! Some bloody keepin' of an accord if yer ask me!'

'Look, get yer things together before he changes his mind and keeps us all on board,' he pleaded, wanting to get his family ashore and to safety.

'Where will we go?' Sive asked worriedly, looking at Finan who looked at Shay then Patience, wondering if returning with his brother in search of work had really been such a good idea.

'I have a friend,' Patience told them. 'She might put us up but it'll mean sleepin' on th'dirt floor.'

'Francine?' Shay asked, nodding his head in approval. He knew her friend would look after them.

Patience nodded. 'If things get nasty with Luke, I'll head up the Jonas trail,' she said, cautious of ears listening.

'I know where to,' he nodded, understanding that she meant Valentine's hideout. 'Be careful, cailin. I find ye as soon as I can, I promise.'

Patience nodded, not happy with the decision but she could see no way of arguing with it. She reached across, hugging him as tightly as she could with Erin in her arms, kissing him tearfully. 'Be careful,' she whispered, her voice cracking.

'I will, my love,' he promised, nuzzling the downy hair on his daughter's head. 'I'll see ye soon.'

'Ya'd better,' she warned, before turning back to the others. 'Lanty, will yer carry me sacks?'

'Of course I will,' the young Irishman agreed, picking them up.

'I'll look after her,' Fin promised Shay as they headed out the door.

Patience turned, smiling through her tears at him. 'This is Tortuga, mate –

I'll be lookin' after you!'

'Patience, give me Erin an' I'll climb down with her,' Billy offered as they reached the ship's side and making his way to the waiting boat clutching the precious bundle to his chest.

Shay wrapped his arms around Patience once more, mentally kicking himself for volunteering so eagerly. 'Take care,' he croaked.

Tears silently slid down her face as she nodded, unable even to speak. At a glance from Vegas she kissed Shay one last time and awkwardly climbed over the ship's rail to the boat.

'Right, ter th'brig wi'ya,' Vegas ordered, grinning at the shocked look on his prisoner's face. 'Well ya don't think I'm givin' ya th'run o'me ship, do ya?'

Shay's heart sank and he trooped behind a crewman down to the dark, dank brig, grimacing as the door clanged shut behind him. 'Ye won't forget about me, will ye?' he pleaded, but got no reply.

Happy now that Shay's back? ;)