Disclaimer: POTC belongs to someone… over there! Ha, made you look.

A/N: Three chapters in one… aren't you special?

Ana and Squirrel sit in the cabin, sewing up their tattered clothing.

"Once we reach Port Royal," Ana says, scrubbing dried pirate blood off her leggings, "We'll have to treat ourselves to some new clothes. These ones are just falling apart."

Squirrel makes a non-committal noise. She holds up her blouse, checking the sleeve. It's shorter than the other one now, but at least it will hold for a while longer. Squirrel's mouth twists in a wry smile.

"Jack was really worried about you." Ana puts down her sewing and looks Squirrel in the eye. "I've never seen him that worried about anyone before."

Squirrel doesn't look up.

"He really cares for you, you know." Ana continues, nonchalantly. "I've never seen him head-over-heels for any other girl before."

Any other girl? "Thankyou, Ana." Squirrel says softly. "But I did only just want to help. After all," She forces a smile. "Aren't I a pirate now, as well?"

"You'd do anything to protect Jack, wouldn't you?" Ana asks with a raised eyebrow and knowing smile. Squirrel reddens and looks back down. Ana nods, then adds, "Well, he'd do anything to protect you."

The door to the cabin opens. Gibbs climbs down. "Evening, ladies." He holds out Squirrel's shanghai. "Found this under the mast. It be yours, I'm thinkin'." Squirrel accepts her weapon with a gracious smile and an equally gracious nod.

"Ana?" Gibbs turns to the Negro woman. "Jack wants to speak with you on deck. Something about the navigational…" Gibbs waves his hands vaguely. "Or something. He wasn't exactly making much sense."

"Then he's perfectly normal." Ana rolls her eyes, but follows Gibbs out of the cabin. Squirrel waits until the door closes before reaching for her amulet. She twists it between her fingers. The cold metal does not comfort her this time.

"I nearly g-got myself k-killed today." She picks her repaired clothes off the floor and climbs into her bunk. "And even Jack is w-w-worried about me." She sighs as she climbs onto her bed, pulling the thin blanket around her thin shoulders. "No m-matter what they say, I still f-f-feel useless."

Squirrel lets her thoughts wander. Will and Elizabeth's wedding. The Pearl would reach Port Royal by sunrise. New clothes. Will was a blacksmith. He could make Squirrel a special sword. Then people wouldn't have to worry about her anymore. She could defend herself. She wouldn't be useless. Jack really loved her, cared for her. Squirrel loved him, cared for him…

Gibbs shakes Squirrel gently by the shoulders. "Wake up!" He whispers. "Wake up, Miss Grey."

Squirrel blinks. She wasn't even aware that she'd fallen asleep. "Wh-what is it?"

"Come up top," Gibbs grins like a monkey. "You have to see this!"

In the distance, the fish swirl in the air. The Pearl sails away from them. Squirrel steps nimbly around the piles of dead snakes that lie scattered over the deck of the Pearl. Suddenly, the snakes aren't dead anymore. They rear up, hissing, bright stripy colours making Squirrel's eyes hurt.

"Can you catch them?" Ana asks, juggling a handful of eggs. "Can you catch them, useless girl?" Ana throws the eggs, and Squirrel cringes in her cloak. The eggs hit and crack and spray blood all over her. Squirrel tries to scream, but the snakes hiss louder, and she trips over, falling face-first onto the deck.

Muddy water washes over her, getting deeper and deeper, and Squirrel struggles in it. In the distance, Will and Elizabeth laugh and dance waist-deep in the sea, splashing each other. Squirrel calls out to them, but they don't hear her. There's blood in her mouth.

Squirrel screams again, and finally falls backwards. She sees the faces of the crew-men of the Pearl watching her as she falls backwards into the sea. Squirrel struggles to keep afloat.

"I can't swim!" She screams, spitting salt-water. "Someone help me!"

Squirrel reaches for the dolphins that are dancing in the deeper water, but they swim away, laughing in their strange voices. "You won't see us again!" One dolphin laughs in Dawn's voice. "I wouldn't go anywhere near Sparrow even if my life depended on it!"

Squirrel flounders, feeling her already weak frame starting to give out. Her eyes, through the salty sea, catch glimpse of an anchor. Squirrel looks up, and Jack smiles at her.

"Come with me!" He calls, holding his strong arms out to her. "I won't let you go, not even for a second! I swears it!"

Squirrel reaches for him, for the anchor, but the salt taste in her mouth grows too strong. It's like a poison. A poison. Slowly, she sinks under the waves, watching Jack from underwater. He's still smiling at her kindly… Lovingly…

From the crow's-nest, Squirrel can see herself, pale and insignificant, struggling in the water. She breaks the surface of the water one more time, gasping and flailing, then goes horribly still, sliding slowly under the waves. The water closes, heavy and blue, over the sinking form.

Squirrel opens her mouth and screams…

… Spitting out mouthfuls of water. Jack stands nearby, an empty bucket in his hands.

"Oh good." He grins. "You're finally awake."

Squirrel screams again, her whole body shaking like a leaf. Jack reaches up, pulling Squirrel from her bunk, and holding her close to him.

"Scream, cry, do whatever." He says gently. "It's just a dream, luv."

Squirrel gives up screaming, and instead sobs noisily on Jack's shoulder. She can't stop shivering. But Jack keeps holding her close to him, and soon the shaking stops, and Squirrel can breathe normally again. He looks down at her.

"Ana said you was having nightmares recently." He flashes his gold teeth at her. "Guess she was right."

Squirrel hiccups, trying force down a sob.

"Now, I know you don't 'want' to talk about them," Jack says, sitting down and making Squirrel sit with him, "But I don't think it's a matter of 'want' anymore. You're part of this crew, part of this family. So we need to hear about them. And also," He strokes Squirrel's hair gently, "They aren't going to go away if you don't tell someone about them, are they?"

Squirrel gives a shuddering sigh, and wipes the tears from her eyes.

"Oh, and sorry about the rude wakeup, luv." Jack grins.

"I-it's a-a-alright." Squirrel takes a deep breath. "Th-thanks for th-that…"

Squirrel sits against Jack for a few moments. Just sitting. With Jack, letting his strong presence chase away her childhood fears.

"I was d-drowning." She says finally. "There w-were all these w-weird things happening, but basically I was drowning, and no-one would save me."

"Really?" Jack looks at her. "Not even me?"

Squirrel steadies herself. "You were there. You were telling me to come with you, that you would never ever let me go. But I still drowned."

Jack pulls Squirrel closer to him. "I don't know much about dreams, Miss Grey, but I do know that drowning in a dream is supposed to be good luck." He shrugs. "Just a superstition, is all."

Squirrel frowns. "What about eggs, and black people, and dolphins and muddy water…"

Jack shrugs. "You should ask Gibbs about that. He knows better'n anyone here about good luck, bad luck, and dreams."

Squirrel nods, and rests her head on Jack's shoulder.

"How long've you had this dream, Squirrel?"

"Since my parents died."

Jack nods, pursing his lips. "That's a fair time ago." He looks down at Squirrel. "But you said I was there. How?"

Squirrel blushes. "I first saw you ten years ago, and I fell in love with you then." She shrugs, trying to hide her embarrassment. "I always wished that you'd be the one who would take me off Tortuga."

"Well, I was, wasn't I?" Jack grins. "And like I said before, Squirrel," Jack's tone turns gentle again. "I want to be the one that saves you, not buries you."

Squirrel looks up at Jack. He looks down at her. Squirrel feels a new kind of shudder creep up and down her spine.

"Have I told you recently that I love you?" Jack asks with a grin.

A/N: Gar! More fluff! I'll have to do something about that -evil plotting ensues-. And aren't you lot special to get three chapters in one? Granted, it wouldn't make much sense as three separate ones, but I digress… Reviewers are my best friends.