Im starting to think that Im writing for nought. No one ever reviews! I thank those two who did, but Im thinking that no one is reading my story, and if I should just discontinue it? If you read this, just please review! Even if you just skimmed it, let me know! Or I will just delete it, I am not kidding. :(

Chapter three: Tell the bird he is back

Else felt like she was being followed. Instead of stopping and looking around, she continued down the street, maybe clutching her thin cloak a bit tighter, but still with her head high and her eyes straight.

Those were footsteps. Someone was indeed following her, but who? In a daring move, she turned around swiftly, but there was no one there.

Suddenly, her legs went out beneath her and Else was sprawling into a puddle on the cobblestone streets.

When the stars faded from her eyes, Else looked up.

"Well howdy, as the American chaps say," Else blinked. Standing above her was one of the most beautiful women ever. And deadly as well. Her black hair was like raven feathers, fly away, and barely contained in a pure white strip of cloth. The woman was wearing a matching tunic, with an ebony under-the-bust corset that she was famed for wearing. Her black pants were tucked into shining black boots; one of which was on Else's chest.

"How do you know what American chaps say?" Else sputtered, after a moment. The woman smiled, her deep crimson lips parting. Her tan skin seemed a bit paler, and there were actually bags under her eyes. It gave her an angst look, rather then one of a frump.

"Well, that's for me to know," She took of her foot from Else's chest, and offered an arm. The blonde took it almost gingerly.

"Oh, sorry 'bout the clout. I kept calling out your name, but alas, you are quite def."

"Hello Brandy," Else said wearily. Somehow, she knew that the meeting with Jack's sister would not be uneventful.

"Howdy," Brandy said again, smiling wider. She mock brushed off Else, and they started back down the street.

"I can't talk right now," Brandy sighed. "I just saw you in the street and thought I'd pop by to say hullo. I s'pose you saw that mess of a man who calls himself my brother?"

Yup. The old rivalry was still in her voice.

"Yes,"

"I heard that you jumped ship with that mess of a man. Im sorry, but if it weren't for him, I would have my ship. Now he is playing martyr! The bastard,"

If it had been said lightly, Else would have shrugged it off. But there was genuine disgust and self-pity in her voice. Else stopped, and turned to look at her.

"What?" Brandy asked, confused at the other woman's halt.

Smack. "Im sorry Brandy. I like you fine, but if you continue on like that I will punch you. Not some weasely smack either," Brandy opened her mouth, her hand on her cheek. Else lifted a hand to silence her.

"Stop trying to be the victim. We all are. Now, you said you were busy. Good day."

That was the first time that anyone had treated Brandy such. She was too shocked to be angry, and a new amount of respect somehow found its way into her brain.

Else walked down the streets, her mind reeling with anger and frustration. She was acting like a little peahen, if there ever was one. She slammed into the flat, forgoing what else she needed in the market place just to sulk.

"What are you doing home?" Else asked surprised when Jack poked his head out of the john, confused and wary at the slamming of the door. Jack was usually never home during the day, out and about doing pirate things, she supposed.

"I was tired, and decided to stay home," Jack said, frowning at her odd expression. Else pulled off her cloak and set down the one package she had managed to get before her run in with Brandy.

"If I had to take a guess," Jack drawled, walking into the room fully, only his trousers on, and barefoot. He wrapped his arms around her small frame, and she ran her fingers through his smooth long dark hair. "I would say that you had a run in with a relative of mine,"

Right on the nose.

Else broke away from him and opened the package. "I had these made up for you," She said, brandishing a pair of shoes. Jack took them from her, examining them curiously.

"They're new. They are called deck shoes. So your feet don't get splinters, but you don't slip when barefoot."

Else was rather proud of her buy. She had been saving up money to get them for Jack. Made of almost the same type of canvas like the sails, they were the same off-white color of normal ones. But what Else didn't expect was the hard look on Jack's face. His eyes went from brown to black in record time, and he cast the shoes away.

"They would be nice," Jack said coldly, throwing on his tunic and coat, and slipping on his boats faster then anyone could have thought possible. "If I had a deck," with that he slammed out of the door, leaving Else to stand in the middle of their home, tears brimming in her eyes.

She had little time to dwell, however, as a page came running up to her door, and gaspingly told her that she was needed in the local brothel. Without another though to her pirate, she grabbed her bag and cloak and followed the small boy down the hall, down the stairs and out the door into the cool twilight.

"Do you work there?" Else asked, a bit of repulsion tugging in the depths of her voice. The little sandy haired boy shook his head.

"No'm. Me mum does though," The blonde gave him a small sympathetic smile.

"What's your name?"

"Winston," The boy said proudly. They were nearing the busy and bustling end of the street, where the most famous and sought after ladies of the night made their home in the Sexo Y Amor. Sex and Love.

"Wow..." Else said, as they walked through the door, having to speak louder on account of the noise. "Such a large name for such a little boy,"

"Everyone calls me Sonny," the urchin admitted. He led her to the back rooms, where the whores and barmaids slept at night, or early morning.

"In here ma'am," Sonny said, pointing to a door.

"Call me Else," Else gave the boy a wink and found him a shilling. His face lit up and he hurriedly thanked her before running off.

"Oh dear," Else said, frowning as she walked into the room. She really had no clue what she was sent in here for, but she was not prepared for the scene that hit her eyes. A labor, yes. Perhaps a sprained ankle from dancing on tabletops, but not this.

"Thanks be to God you are here," A woman rushed towards Else, tears in her eyes. She was most likely Spanish, and her dress was ripped and torn, coming off her shoulders.

"...What happened?" Else asked, eyes wide.

"El mal hombre. The bad man," The woman said darkly. Else walked over to the small bed, biting her lip.

Lying on the bed was the most battered woman she had ever seen. Blood oozed from various cuts and scrapes, staining the already dingy sheets. Her face was swollen so bad that Else couldn't make out her features to save her own life. Most of the woman's clothing was torn off, and she was actually wearing a corset and bloomers of rich fabric. When Else looked down at stepping on something, she saw the remnants of a beautiful golden silk gown.

"What happened?" Else asked again, turning back to the Spanish woman.

"It was a man," the woman kept saying.

"Ok, ok," Else said, trying to calm her own nerves. This was no ordinary madman who liked to push around a whore when on shore leave. Even the poor thing's golden brown tresses were chopped off. This man set out to do something.

"What is your name?" Else asked the woman, grabbing what she would need out of her bag.

"Rosita," The woman sniffed.

"I'm Else. Can you tell me what this man looked like?" Else kneeled besides the semi-unconscious woman and gingerly began apply salve to her swollen face.

"He was tall. A pock-marred face, but somewhat dark and handsome looking. He grew angry when I couldn't...please him. He saw her walking through the tavern, with her little boy, Sonny, in hand, to say goodbye to the owner. His eyes grew small and he quickly grabbed her and shoved her into this room. He beat her..." Rosita started sobbing. Else bent her head low as she continued.

"What is her name?" Else asked, looking back up as Rosita somewhat controlled herself.

"Isabella,"

"Did the man say anything?" Else hated asking.

"Yes," Else jumped as the question was answered from the beaten woman. Teeth were missing out of her mouth, and it must have been hard for her to even blink.

"What? Perhaps I can have my man go and find him?" Else's empathy grew when remembering the comment by Rosita. The little cute boy Sonny, was her child.

"He said something about a bird." Isabella croaked. "He wanted this bird to know he was back." Painfully she jerked her head, and Else looked in the direction of her gaze.

"What the hell?" She gasped. There on Isabella's forearm was a burn. A large round one. Too intricate to be an accident. It looked like this man had heated something up, and put it to her flesh.

"What did he use?"

"A coin. I think,"

"What did he say his name was?" Else pressed, the pit of her stomach dropping, churning, and becoming ice cold.

"Bar–" but the woman's eyes rolled back into her head, and she was no more.

Else stood up, and wiped tears from her eyes. She turned to Rosita who was staring at the now dead woman with eyes the size of dinner plates.

"No," The Spanish woman whispered.

"Sorry?" Else gathered her things, her heart going out to the now orphaned Sonny.

"She was a lady!" Rosita all but wailed. "She had made it out of here! She found a man who had cared for her and her bastard baby! Oh, I can't believe it, what of poor Sonny? James is dead, and none of us whores can take care of ourselves, let alone a child! I don't even have money to pay you!"

"Shh!" Else demanded, her face set in a look of determination. "I never charge those who cant afford it. Why don't I take Sonny, until a home can be found for him?"

It was the right thing to do. The classic thing to do. And mid-wives everywhere were always getting pinned with it, but Else didn't care. For all she knew, this could have distantly be related to her, and her fault. For all she knew, she could have just killed this boy's mother.

"Are you sure?" Rosita sniffed.

"Yes. Round me up his things, and meet me outside of the brothel," Else grabbed two pennies from her satchel and placed them over Isabella's eyes, and a sick feeling came to her when she thought that most likely they would be stolen in ten minutes.

"Oh, you are so kind!" Rosita sobbed anew, and bustled around the get the few things that belonged to Sonny.

Else stepped out of the room, taking a deep breath and counting to ten.

"Else?" Else looked down to see the boy, looking up with hopeful eyes.

"Would you like to come stay with me for a while?" Else asked. The boy took a step back. "I live with a nice and funny pirate, who could take you sailing one day?" He took a step forward, but was still silent.

"Please? Sonny? Winston? Just trust me on this one, you don't want to stay here," Sonny gave a short nod. Rosita came out with a bundle of his things, and after giving the boy a tight hug and a peck on the cheek, they were off.

"What's the pirate's name?" Sonny asked as they went back to her flat. Their flat now.

"Jack Sparrow," Else tried to smile down at him. But suddenly something clicked horridly in her mind. "He wanted the bird to know he was back,"

Barbossa.