Disclaimer: POTC still remains not mine.
Squirrel checks the invitation for the hundredth time in her cloak pocket. Still there. Still there. She sighs happily. I've never been to a wedding before. And this dance!... It's amazing. She sighs again. I never would've had these chances on Tortuga. Her face darkens slightly. I never had a chance to do anything on Tortuga.
"Excuse me, Miss?" Someone steps out suddenly from an alleyway, startling her. "Could I have a word with you?" Squirrel frowns, then follows the man into the alley, tucking the bundle of cloth more firmly under her arm.
"What is it?" She asks.
The man smiles pleasantly. Squirrel stares at the knife in his hand, then at the man again.
"You don't recognise me, do you?" The man tilts his head sideways, considering her. He slides the knife back into his belt. "I didn't think you would."
It takes a few moments for Squirrel to realise. "You're that p-pirate that attacked m-me on the P-Pearl!"
The man throws back his head and laughs. "Yes, but I have no quarrel with you now." Squirrel reaches slowly for her shanghai. "No, no, no." The man holds up his hands in defence. "I said I don't want to fight you now. We're not enemies here, Miss Grey."
Squirrel nearly drops the dress. "How d-do you know m-my name?"
"Of course," the pirate continues, ignoring her question, "We only sent our weakest to attack the Black Pearl. To make sure that only the strongest made it, to make sure only the cream of the crop are left to get our revenge, but you did make fine work of fighting back, I must say."
"How do you know my name?" Squirrel repeats, her voice taking a harder edge.
The man smiles at her. "I heard you and Jack Sparrow having a little argument after the fight. Seems you thought you were useless, and wanted to protect the good Captain Sparrow. Am I right?"
Squirrel scowls, and her hand does not leave her side. The man smiles kindly.
"Looks like I was right." He scratches the back of his head. "Miss Grey, I'm not here to pick a fight with you. My fight is only with Jack."
"Why?" Squirrel asks, confused. "What did he ever do to you?"
The man's smile turns cold. "He took something special away from me. I valued that thing more than my life, and he took it from me. And I won't rest until I have my revenge."
Squirrel stares at the pirate standing in front of her. "What are you talking about?"
"See," The pirate explains with a casual toss of the hand, "To get my revenge, I want to take away that one thing that Jack Sparrow values more than his own life." The pirate pauses. "True, I might kill him afterwards, but it's all in the name of justice."
"Justice?" Squirrel wrinkles her nose in disgust. "You mean revenge."
The pirate shrugs. "Miss Grey, the only reason I'm talking to you is because I think you know what Jack Sparrow values more than his life." The pirate shoves his face close to Squirrel's, and she winces at the foul smell of the man's breath. "And I want to know what it is, so I can take it from him."
Squirrel stares. "You really are t-trying to kill me!"
The pirate throws back his head and laughs. "You? Why do you… Oh, I see. Ha! Pardon me, Miss, but what… What makes you think Sparrow loves you more than life itself?"
Squirrel's jaw drops, and she attempts to form words. "He said that… And I … He didn't…"
"Ah." The pirate smiles, and steps back. "So you really are in love with Sparrow." He smirks. "I was right." Squirrel glowers and glows red under her hood. The pirate smiles again.
"You may love him, Miss Grey." The pirate whispers. "But what proof do you have that he loves you?"
Squirrel stares, backing away in horror. "He told me…"
"Oh, he told you did he?" The pirate rolls his eyes. "Well that's proof enough for me." His eyes turn cold. "He told my Bella he loved her too. And you know what happened?"
"No…" Squirrel squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. I don't want to hear this…
"He gave her about twenty minutes then left her lying in the gutter like a whore."
"No…" It's not true…
"And it's the same with everyone else who attacked the Black Pearl the other day." The pirate continues relentlessly. "All of their women, all of their lives, destroyed by Jack Sparrow."
"No…" This isn't the Jack I know.
"And what makes you think you're so special, Miss Grey?" The pirate raises his eyebrows, stepping forward. "Because you're part of the crew? Because Jack saved your life?"
Squirrel looks up, tears spilling out of her eyes.
"Yeah." The pirate grins. "I heard a rather heart-rending story recently in Tortuga. A man named Sharky, I do believe. Little Miss Squirrel trapped for her whole life on the island, boo-hoo." The pirate touches the side of Squirrel's face. "So Sparrow saved you, did he?"
Squirrel pulls away, hating the feel of the man's hand on her skin.
"Tell me, then, Miss Grey." The pirate nearly shouts. "What makes you so different to the other woman around the Caribbean? In any port city, really? Hmm? What makes you think that Sparrow cares about you more than life itself? What makes you think Sparrow won't treat you like he did my girl?" He shouts at her. "Tell me!"
Squirrel turns and runs out of the alley, eyes stinging, choking back sobs. The pirate watches her go, and folds his arms.
"You tink dis will work?" A voice comes from in the shadows.
The pirate smirks. "It will. She'll hurt Jack more than we ever could."
Squirrel runs through the streets of Port Royal, her cloak flapping behind her. She hurries to the docks and finds Ana waiting for her again.
"About time you made it." Ana grumbles, then sees Squirrel's tear-stained face. Her impatience dissolves into concern. "Squirrel? What the hell happened?"
"L-l-let's get out of h-h-here!" Squirrel stammers between sobs. "I w-want to g-go home!"
Ana rows out of the docks as quickly as she could, not saying a word. Squirrel sits on the other end of the boat, sobbing wretchedly.
It's not true… It can't be true…It can't be…