Disclaimer: I had Jack Sparrow chained in my basement, until Disney came to reclaim him. Now he's no longer mine…

AN: Okay, this chapter holds something that I've used in nearly all of my stories: the hero deciding to take matters into his own hands. The method he uses is even the same, but since I feel it's a fairly good way to do things, I'll keep it the way it is. Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 3: Things Are Not What They Seem:

Two Weeks Later: Nerissa's POV:

When her father had told her that a voyage to the Caribbean would be interesting, Nerissa hadn't believed him and had begged to stay at their home in England. Now, though, she wouldn't have traded this visit for anything in the world. Elizabeth was as much fun to be with now as she had been as a child, and Will was wonderful to talk to about swords and weaponry. Her Uncle, the Governor, was also a joy to be around, considering she visited him constantly and took tea with him every afternoon, just to keep him company.

But the most interesting part of her stay had to be the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. He would visit the Turner home every afternoon to partake in some sort of storytelling event that always had Nerissa on the edge of her seat. Jack (as he'd asked her to call him) was always thrilled at seeing her enchanted with his adventures, especially when he had her laughing to the point of tears streaming down her face.

And perhaps the best part about these visits was that Jack was so different from the other men Nerissa had known in her life, which had always been full of noblemen or the sons of wealthy merchants. The way he acted was so formal, and yet so relaxed that it made Nerissa feel as though there was no gaps or barrier between her noble status and his occupation as a pirate. She found herself liking the pirate captain and his company, and believed the same thing to be true about his fondness of her.

It was a pity that all good things have to come to an end…

Jack's POV:

Swaying through the back streets of Port Royal, Jack smiled to himself. Today he was going to pay an unexpected visit to the Turners, and to the lovely Miss Nerissa Fox.

'Funny how she somewhat resembles a fox,' he thought, ducking behind a bush as a group of soldiers marched pass. 'Her eyes seem to sparkle whenever she's amused or thinking of something witty to say back to me about my stories.'

But what was really odd, in Jack's mind, was how comfortable he felt whenever he was talking with Nerissa. Usually the most fun he had with a woman involved the two of them and a bed; talking with women (other than his first mate, Annamaria) was usually out of the question, since most of the women he knew were strumpets or worse. None of them could make decent conversation, much less tell him about the unusual experiences they had while traveling around the world!

'After all, it's not every day a pirate can meet a fine woman that's traveled the world almost as much as he has,' Jack thought, smiling.

He always had such fun comparing amusing tales with Nessa, as she liked to be called. Jack had thought it a bit funny and odd that a parent would choose such a name as Nerissa, which he knew meant daughter of the sea in Latin, a name that very much described where she'd spent most of her traveling days. Perhaps her parents didn't know how she would be spending quite a bit of her life, but it was still amusing, nonetheless, and Jack loved a bit of amusement when it came to names. Old wives' tales sometimes declared that a name made the person it was given to; if that were true, then Miss Fox's parents had just handed the seas of the world a faithful traveler!

Chuckling to himself, Jack trotted up a barely noticeable pathway that led up to the Turner's mansion. As he approached the house, he heard female voices coming from within. Deciding to sneak a peek inside, he spotted Elizabeth and her cousin in the parlor through an open window. Smiling to himself, the pirate captain decided to listen in on the conversation and see what interesting things he could pick up. Hopefully it would be something entertaining about the noble class, as those were often the sorts of things that blackmail was made of.

"Nessa, I saw that you got a letter from your father," he heard Elizabeth say. "But there is no possible way for a message to cross the ocean that fast. How did it get here?"

Nerissa sighed. "Before I left England, Father handed me an envelope and told me not to open it until I'd settled in," she explained. "I felt fully comfortable here only yesterday, so I decided to open the letter after this morning's breakfast to see what he'd written."

Footsteps came very close to Jack's hiding spot outside the window and he crouched down inside some bushes. This was important, and there was no way he wanted to be found out when things were getting interesting! Pressing himself lower down into the brush, Jack looked up at the window and saw Nerissa looking out towards the gardens. There were tears in her eyes, and Jack immediately became alarmed. He hated seeing women cry, it made him feel so helpless. He kept his eyes on Nerissa's teary-eyed face as she spoke again.

"The note said that he had other motives for sending me to the Caribbean," she said, staring blankly at a spot in the distance. "He…wants me to marry a wealthy merchant's son who has just acquired a great deal of land. Father expects me to leave as soon as a ship can be arranged to take me to a small plantation on an island about a week away from here."

Elizabeth gasped. "Oh, Nessa!" she cried, rushing over to hug her cousin. "I thought your father swore to let you marry for love?"

Nerissa sniffed and blew her nose in a handkerchief that Elizabeth pressed into her hands. "He did," she said, her voice watery. "He said that he had talked with my mother before she left us, and they both promised that I'd have a chance at love! He broke his word to me, Elizabeth!"

Jack could feel his heart clench and his blood boil. What sort of man breaks a word to his only daughter? Jack knew that Nerissa's father loved his daughter a great deal from the way she described the family's lifestyle and behaviors at home. Lord Fox must have loved her dearly, as he had sent her around the world and educated her beyond the expectations of the upper class. Her father most definitely did not want his child to grow up a foolish noblewoman, an easily manipulated toy to be abused by men. No, her father obviously loved her, so why would he do this to a woman who had such a free and caring spirit?

'I have to do something,' Jack thought frantically to himself. 'I can't let this happen to Nerissa.'

Quickly formulating a plan in his head, Jack slipped away from the Turner home and back to the Black Pearl.

That Night, Nerissa's POV:

As they sat down to dinner, Nerissa noticed that something seemed to be preoccupying the pirate captain. Jack was usually much more talkative than this, and it bothered her that he was so quiet and thoughtful. Deciding that he must be thinking about his ship, she turned talks towards ships, which seemed to perk him up a bit, but not enough to where he was his normal self. Finally, just when she was about to ask what was wrong, Jack asked something completely unexpected.

"How is it a lovely and learned girl like you manages to stay unattached?"

The entire table went a bit quiet. Will looked like he was as curious about the topic as Jack, and Elizabeth looked like she was going to start choking on her mouthful of cheese. Nerissa gave a small cough and avoided looking into his eyes; if she met them, she knew that she'd blurt out the truth in an instant, and that was the last thing she wanted. He might just come up with some crazy scheme to get her out of her marriage (which she might just consider, but never act out on)!

"Um, well…" Nerissa really didn't know where to start telling a lie, especially to a man that she admired and respected like she did Captain Jack Sparrow. It seemed wrong to her, but she had to do it. As she opened her mouth, however, Elizabeth decided to break into the conversation.

"Just tell him the truth, Nessa," Elizabeth said, her eyes begging her cousin not to hide anything. "He'll find out sooner or later, whether you tell him or not."

Nerissa sighed. "Very well," she said grudgingly. "I'm afraid that I won't be unattached for much longer, Jack. My father has recently informed me that I'm to marry the wealthy merchant's son who has a large sugar and tobacco plantation on an island close to here. I am to leave as soon as a ship can be found to take me there."

Will looked shocked. "But you've only just arrived!" he said, sitting up in his chair.

"I'm afraid my 'pleasant visit' to your home in the Caribbean was only a ruse to get me to my betrothed," Nerissa said, giving a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "My father can be quite clever that way, when he wants to be." She bit her lower lip in thought. "I don't understand why he would do this to me, but he wrote that it had to do with carrying out my mother's dream of having me wed before I grew too old for it." Nerissa shrugged. "It will also bring a very nice bit of money to my family, if the plantation is successful in the future." A sad look gleamed in her brown orbs. "It's just not like him to trick me like this, though."

Jack frowned and shrugged. "Who really knows why most people do anything?" he said, taking a gulp of rum from his glass. "Although, if you need a ship, the Pearl is at your service."

Nerissa stared at him. "You'd take me on the Black Pearl?" she whispered, becoming thoroughly excited at the idea.

The truth was, she'd always wondered what the legendary ship looked like up close, ever since she'd heard about it in stories told to her in letters from Elizabeth. Now she had the chance to sail onboard the vessel that was feared across the Caribbean! Granted, it was to take her to the arms of a man she'd never met and had to marry, but it was still exciting, nonetheless.

Jack beamed a bright, glittering smile at her reaction. "Of course, luv!" he exclaimed, leaning back in his chair. "How could I let a bonny lass like you sail onboard a boring merchant or passenger ship when you could spend time around a bunch of scallywags like the members of my crew?"

Nerissa couldn't help but laugh. "If they're anything like you, Captain Sparrow, I look forward to meeting them!"

Jack simply smiled at her. "So when do you want to leave?" he asked, finishing off his rum.

She pondered the thought for a moment. "I think about ten days from now would be a good idea, don't you, Lizzie?"

Elizabeth looked sad for a moment before nodding her head. "Whatever you wish, Nessa."

Ten Days Later: Jack's POV:

Watching the lovely, and unsuspecting, Nerissa say goodbye to her cousin and the Whelp made Jack feel a bit guilty about what he'd planned, but he quickly dismissed it. She didn't deserve to marry some idiot merchant's son; those no-good fops were almost always lacking in the brains area, and the thought of the brilliant Nerissa suffocating under all of that stupidity was heartbreaking.

'The lass could even make a good pirate, if I could train her,' he thought to himself, smiling at the image of Nessa dressed in pirate's gear. 'Now there's an idea!'

Now fully grinning, Jack cleared his throat, signaling that it was time to leave. The two cousins hugged once more and Nessa pressed a chase kiss to her cousin-in-law's cheek. Even though the kiss was meaningless, Jack felt uncomfortable with it for some reason. Shrugging the feeling away, he offered his fair passenger an arm and escorted her to the Pearl. There was no luggage to take, as several members of the crew had already hauled it off, so the walk was a pleasant and easy one in the faint sunlight of early morning.

Her expression upon first seeing the Pearl was priceless. The Black Pearl was a thing of beauty all on its own, but when Mother Nature decided to pour a particularly effective beam of sunlight onto it, the sight was almost divine. Nerissa's mouth dropped open and she had stared at it for a good five minutes before Jack had to reach over and close her mouth for her. Nerissa blushed at the small bit of physical contact, but was still in awe of the ship she was to be traveling on. Beaming happily at her reaction to the Pearl, he escorted her to the shoreline.

Nerissa's POV:

Three crewmen awaited their captain and passenger on the beach. After boarding the small boat and being rowed to the side of the Pearl, Nerissa soon received a closer look of the Pearl and its crew. Jack smiled at her expression as he took her around the deck and introduced her to everyone. The crew was on their best behavior, but she particularly liked the elderly Mr. Gibbs, who seemed to be exceptionally friendly towards her, for reasons beyond her understanding. Shrugging the matter away, Nerissa listened as Jack quickly hurriedly yelled out instructions for them to set sail.

The anchor was soon raised, and she felt the ship jerk forward beneath her feet. Gasping in surprise, she grabbed on to the nearest thing…which happened to be Jack's left arm. Glancing up from beneath her eyelashes, she saw him looking down at her with a large grin on his face. Blushing, Nerissa let go and pretended to straighten her gown. When she next looked up at Jack's face, his expression seemed to be a confused mixture of joy and disappointment. Puzzled, she opened her mouth to ask what he was thinking, but he beat her to it.

"Care to see your cabin, luv?" he asked, offering her his right arm.

She nodded and was soon settled in a comfortable, though cramped, cabin with her luggage. Everything was all in a shade of red or red-brown, from the drapes over the small window to the bedsheets. It was fitted with everything of the finest quality, though not overly decorated. All in all, it fit her tastes quite well, considering she hated overly done, tasteless decorating. It was a very nice room, much nicer than she thought it would be, and it made Nerissa think that perhaps Jack had ordered this room made up with her in mind.

'But that's silly,' Nerissa thought to herself. 'I highly doubt that Jack would go through all that trouble just for me, especially when I'll be leaving him in a few days. This room looks like it was made for a person to stay here in comfort for the rest of their lives!'

Sighing to herself, she began to settle into her temporary cabin.

Jack's POV:

Taking a breath of fresh sea air as the Pearl pulled away from Port Royal, Jack felt a small pang of guilt about the whole plan he was carrying out. He was certain he could entertain Nerissa for the next week or so with no problem, but after those seven days were up, well…that was where the trouble lay. She was sure to notice how they didn't reach the plantation where her betrothed was waiting, and then she'd probably cause hell on the Pearl.

'But it'd be worth it,' Jack thought to himself, grinning. 'I'd like to see her all fired up…might be interesting, actually.'

Still, he didn't like the thought of her likely crying when she found out that he'd literally stolen her away. However, there was the possibility that she'd thank him for helping to rescue her from the confining lifestyle she'd grown up in. If that were the case, Jack felt (in his heart of hearts) that he could turn her into a pirate…a well-mannered one, but a lovely and effectively clever pirate, nonetheless. Annamaria would probably welcome another woman aboard, since she hated not having another female to talk to about…whatever it was women talked about.

Sighing, Jack looked up at the sky briefly. Normally he wasn't a religious man, but sometimes a person, be they man, woman or child, needed to talk to someone of a higher power when they needed assurance or guidance, and this situation definitely called for it.

'Dear Lord, please let Nessa forgive me for what I'm doing,' he begged, for the thought of Nerissa suffering any sort of emotional pain at his hands was unbearable.

Ten Days Later: Nerissa's POV:

The voyage was taking longer than it should, and Nerissa was beginning to get fairly suspicious of the pirate captain that she had, up until this point, trusted. Normally she would have excused the lateness on traveling conditions, like weather or the possibility that they ran the risk of being attacked by enemies. But the weather had been excellent, the winds kept the sails full and were in their favor, and since it was a pirate ship, there really was no reason for them to be attacked by anyone save the Royal Navy (which she prayed wouldn't happen). When she thought back upon the route they were taking, it was as though Jack were taking the remarkably long way around to the plantation, which was on the far side of the island of Cuba, and the whole situation really didn't feel right to her.

'So what in the world is going on?' Nerissa thought to herself as she looked out her little window. 'We should have been at the plantation two days ago, at least! Jack said that the Pearl was the fastest ship in the Caribbean, so we certainly would have been there by now!'

Still, she had to give Jack some credit when it came to entertaining a guest. A tour of the Pearl had lasted a whole day, since its captain had insisted on explaining every single thing on the ship. It had been more entertaining than it sounded, since Jack kept being interrupted by Mr. Gibbs and Annamaria, who had to put in their own opinions about everything. Nerissa really couldn't remember a time where she had laughed so hard as when the three pirates began arguing about who could load a better shot into a cannon. The rest of the time aboard had been spent at the numerous parties the Pearl's crew threw, with card games, drinks, and food being passed around everywhere. It was the most fun she'd ever had aboard a ship. Well, except for…

"Nessa!" Jack called through the door of her cabin. "Care to join me for some supper in my cabin?"

Sighing, Nerissa walked towards the door and followed Jack to his cabin. It wasn't that unusual of an offer, as she'd dined with the pirate captain every afternoon and evening thus far, and it was very fun talking with him about every topic under the sun. However, she was going to talk to him about something that would most definitely not be fun. So, once they were both finished with their meals and were merely sipping after-dinner drinks, Nerissa cleared her throat.

"Jack, may I ask you something?" He waved a hand at her, motioning for her to continue. "Why haven't we reached the island of Cuba yet? It's really not that far from Port Royal, you know, and we should have reached it by now." The man seated across from her suddenly looked a bit guilty, and that made Nessa's heart drop into her stomach.

Jack's POV:

"Well, you see, luv," he said, fiddling with the bottle of rum in front of him, "I sort of have different plans for you, other than seeing you wed some pansy of a merchant's son." Nerissa quirked an eyebrow and Jack winced. "I heard you talking with Elizabeth a few weeks ago about your marriage, and I couldn't stand the thought of you being hauled off to marry some man you'd never met," he said, arms and fingers moving around as he spoke. "You're far too bright to be forced into that, and it's not right for all of that brilliance to be dulled down by some plantation owner who couldn't find his backside with a map and both hands." He took a sip of rum to calm his nerves. "So I decided to keep you aboard my Pearl as one of my own crew.

Nerissa's jaw dropped and her eyes bulged in fear. "Oh God, Jack, what have you done?" she cried, leaping up from her chair. "In doing this, you've condemned your crew to a fate worse than death!"

Startled, Jack watched the young woman run out of his cabin, puzzled by her words and reaction. 'She must mean her father might come after us or something,' he thought, going back to his rum. 'No fear, they'll never catch us, and she can always write to her dear dad to not send people after us.'

He shrugged before going back to his rum. Just another reason to avoid the Navy, that's all.

AN: Wow, dramatic, isn't it? You'll find out about Nerissa's words later on in the fic. Review!