Disclaimer: I am not Disney. Therefore, I don't own POTC.

Sorry this chapter took so long! My dad went to Russia and my sister went to Guatemala, and I lost a backpack and duffle bag in the transaction. Very busy here.

A bit of language this chapter.

Chapter 11: A Plan in Pieces

Natie looked around the Burning Death. Obviously, they weren't very big on hygiene. There was about an inch of grim on the deck, generally disgusting. No doubt, she and Jack would become ship's boys, cleaning the ship. Not a fun task. But they could learn a lot through the crew.

"PIP!" someone bellowed. Natie quickly turned towards the voice. That had been a test, she knew. If she hesitated for even a moment before responding to her fake name, the crew would know that it wasn't her name. Then they would wonder why this young boy had given them a false name. And then they would find out. Not very good. It was the reason she had allowed Jack to keep his name.

"Yes, sir?" she called back, keeping her voice low. The pirate seemed nervous. Obviously, he wasn't the sharpest sword.

"There are some buckets here. Swab the deck," he smiled. Keeping her head down, Natie acted the perfect insubordinate. Jack was having more trouble.

"This is horrible. It'd be one thing if the deck had been cleaned once, but do they have pigs living here? Honestly," he complained. She ignored his comments, and hoped that the few pirates still wandering around were too.

"Stow it," a gruff voice said. Jack recognized it as the dumb pirate on the beach, named Roy. "It would be terrible for something to happen to you." He smiled, and turned to walk away, but not before giving Jack a sharp kick in the side. Before he could cry out, Natie threw her hand over his mouth. Best not to attract more attention, or more pirates.

"What was that for?" Jack gasped.

"For talking mutiny, idiot," she hissed, starting to scrub again.

"No, covering my mouth."

"Because he would have won to hear you in pain. And, most likely, you would have gotten another kick. I'd rather not have to tell your parents how you died." Jack's face flushed. Across the deck, a group of the pirates were laughing at a seagull. Even after it flew away, they continued laughing for a few more minutes, and then there was a hush. Natie eyed Jack. "And if anything happened to you, I'd be left alone with these idiots."

"But you just called me an idiot," he countered.

"But I can control you. You're my idiot, I guess," she shrugged, scrubbing at a particularly dense section of grim. Jack blushed again. He didn't like the idea of being anyone's idiot, let alone being an idiot. After a moment, he realized how insulting that had been.

A few hours and disgusting discoveries later, the other pirates returned. A few glared curiously at Natie and Jack, but most ignored them.

"Gentlemen!" Cadoom called. "We received an exquisite haul from Port Royal!" Cheers from the pirates. Natie felt Jack tense beside her. Don't do anything stupid, she pleaded in her mind.

"And we gave quite a blow to His Majesties Navy and the Black Pearl!" More cheers and Natie's turn to tense. Cadoom raised his arms for silence. "So now, we're going to go after our enemy, the Black Pearl!" Many more cheers and hoots.

"And," Cadoom said amidst the catcalls, "whoever gives me the head of Jack Sparrow will a double share of the treasure!" Natie's face was red, and she was fighting the urge to attack the captain.

"But Captain, how will we find the Pearl?" one of the pirates who had laughed at the seagull asked. Cadoom smiled, searching the crowd. His eyes landed on Natie, and for the first time she saw his eyes. They were grey and red. They were both ugly and beautiful. She couldn't look away.

"They'll find us," he smiled. "You see gents, we have something very important to them. Ironically, something important to us." He pointed to Natie, and the crowd parted. "Come here, Pip."

Trying to stay calm, she walked over to the captain. He grabbed her arm, showing her to the pirates. In a single movement, he shook her hat off. Her hair tumbled to her shoulders. Some of the pirates gasped. Natie heard a really dumb one say, "He turned into a she! That's dark magic, that is." She couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"This be the cabin girl to Jack Sparrow! Like a daughter, I hear. But how would you like to meet your real family?"

"You bastard, you killed them yourself," she gasped. He laughed at her.

"Your mother, yes. But your father, well, you can't kill what isn't alive," Cadoom started laughing deeply. He threw her at the nearest pirates. "Take her to the brig! And her friend too."

As hands started grabbing at her, Natie struggled like a wild cat. She kicked, and struggled to reach her hidden knife. During the fight, she thought she heard someone say don't hurt her, and she figured it was Jack. He was probably going without a fight. Suddenly, there was a cry from the crow's nest.

"The Pearl is approaching!"