AN: I would like to take a moment to thank all of my wonderful reviewers. You all know who you are, and I don't want to list all of you. That tends to get lengthy. I can't express enough how nice it is to recieve all of your reviews. I'd say your like a ray of sunshine but that sounds corny, doesn't it?

Anyways, Thanks again!

My Pirates website, Nigh Uncatchable, is now open but not yet fully operational. This story is there and so are some short biographies for the characters. I would love it if you checked it out!

This story contains SPOILERS! If you do not wish to be spoiled, please turn back now and wait until you've seen the movie.

Every Rose Has Its Thorns

Chapter 16: Paris

Hunter approached Mac as he tightened a rope on the rigging. "How goes it, mate?"

"Not so smoothly," Mac answered. "Having a spot of trouble with a Gypsy."

"Aye," Hunter smiled. "I noticed."

"Have any advice?"

"Be yerself, mate." He turned serious. "Ye hurt her and I'll personally send ye down to Davy Jones Locker."

Mac smiled. "Don't worry. I take my women seriously."

Evelyn quietly snuck fromJack's cabin, keeping an eye out for Michael. She felt awful for what she had done to him. At the same time, she felt as if she was floating.

"Where have you been, Captain?" Lilia asked, a knowing smile on her face.

"Jus' catching some shut-eye," She answered, smiling.

"I can keep a secret if you can." Liliana grinned.

"What is it, Lilia?"

"Meet me in the hold and I'll tell you."

"Give me a moment," she said as she stared out at the sea. Liliana slinked away behind her. She continued to stare into the sea for a moment. She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the water hitting the hull of the ship. It soothed her.

She swaggered across the deck and climbed down into the hold. There she saw Mac reading Liliana a bit of poetry. She smiled to herself as the couple started kissing. At least someone around here can be in love and not feel guilty about it. She sighed. Paris couldn't get here soon enough.

The Black Pearl docked in Paris on a stormy day. The workers on the dock and on other ships watched her with a weary eye.

Evelyn disembarked first with Jack directly behind her. "Yer gonna follow me the whole way, ain't ye?"

"Yup," Jack answered with a toothy grin.

Evelyn pulled a piece of paper from her pocket and showed it to the dock master. He waved her along as if it were a common occurrence.

"Ye have a Letter of Mark!" Jack started to chuckle. "Gone soft have we?"

"I have an arrangement with the king and queen, Jack."

"Figgered ye would."

"Jus' don't step on me heels on the way ter me father's.".

Evelyn made her way through the busy streets of Paris. She smiled at those who stared at her. She arrived at Porthos' door and walked right in with Jack in tow.

"Papa!" Evelyn yelled.

"In the study!" He bellowed.

Evelyn strutted down the hall. Jack paid special attention to her as she walked. She entered the study. As was their habit, Porthos, Athos, Aramis and Dartagnon were seated around the room.

Porthos rose to give his daughter a hug and he noticed Jack. "Mon Dieu! Jack Sparrow!" Porthos walked to Jack and gave him a hug and a hearty pat on the back. Jack returned the gesture with a grin. "We thought you were dead!"

"Tell me about it," Evelyn said with a sigh.

"That must have been an interesting reunion," Porthos said with a laugh.

"Ye have no idea, mate," Jack replied.

"Come in! Sit down and have a drink!" Porthos said putting an arm around Jack's back.

"Papa, I need to speak to ye for a minute," Evelyn stated gravely.

"Sure thing, sweetheart. 'Scuse me boys." He turned to his daughter and put an arm around her shoulder. "I take it you found The Pearl?"

Evelyn shook her head. "It's a long story. The short of it is that Spaniard sunk me ship."

"Is everyone all right?"

"Aye," Evelyn said. "We brought The Pearl here for repairs."

"No problem," Porthos said with a grin. "I'll get some of my boys on it tomorrow."

"Thank ye, papa." She looked upset.

"What's wrong, Evelyn?" Porthos asked, furrowing his brow.

"I've done something wrong."

"You're confused about Jack aren't you?" He added a small smile.

"I don't know what ter do about it."

"Evelyn, it's up to you to make decisions on matters of the heart."

Evelyn sighed. "Easy fer ye to say."

Porthos smiled at her and led her back into the parlor. "I always liked Jack." He said, joyfully. "I sure am glad he's alive." He winked at her.

She smiled and shook her head. "Yer not helpin', ye know?"

Later that afternoon, Evelyn showed Elizabeth Paris. She had never been and had been begging her new friend to show her around. Dressed in one of her best gowns, Evelyn led the young woman through the streets of the great city, putting on her best noblewoman act. She had even dropped her swagger. Evelyn had taken her to the palace, its gardens, and to the town market.

The walk home was difficult for Evelyn. She knew she'd find her father and her "uncles" having a gay ol' time with Jack. She still wasn't sure how to react to her once lover. He and Porthos had always gotten along. In the past she had been thrilled that her father thought of Jack as a son, but now it irked her.

"You're one brave woman," Elizabeth said to Evelyn as they walked through the streets of Paris.

"Not any more than you," Evelyn replied. "Not just any woman would follow a pirate all on her own."

"I meant trusting Jack with your heart. He doesn't seem to be one to focus his attentions on one woman." Elizabeth stopped near a boutique and started peering in the window.

"Ye see luv, Jack's first love is the sea. His second is the Pearl. Once ye get past that, trusting him isn't so difficult."

"I don't see how that makes it any easier." Elizabeth stared at her.

"When ye love both just as much as he does, it is." Evelyn answered. She narrowed her eyes. "An' jus' how did ye know how I feel about Jack?"

"Wasn't hard." Elizabeth shrugged. "I've never seen Jack Sparrow care about anyone more than himself or that bloody ship." She looked back into the window of the boutique. "Except you."

Evelyn sighed and turned away from the young woman. What have ye gotten yerself into now, girl? She asked herself.

While Elizabeth was window shopping Evelyn stood there in the streets, one arm around her stomach, the other daintily waving a fan.

A man in a British Naval uniform stopped and stood next to her. Her first reaction would normally be to kick him in a rather sensitive area, and run for her life, but she wasn't herself at the moment.

"Lovely day, isn't it?" He asked.

"Yer a long way from home," Evelyn said, not even looking at the man.

"Yes, well, I couldn't help but over hear you and your friend speaking English."

"An' ye decided to stop and have a chat?" She looked up at him. He was tall with a very handsome face. A powder wig rested atop his head, and on top of the wig sat a rather large tri-corner hat.

"I was so relieved to her someone speaking something other than French, I couldn't help myself." He smiled at her.

Evelyn smiled back. It couldn't hurt to be friendly. He was English, but he was nice enough to stop and talk to her.

"Ye got a name, Commodore?" She asked, eyeing his decorated uniform.

"James Norrington."

The very instant she heard his voice Elizabeth knew she had to hide. When he said his name, she took the opportunity to duck around a corner.

He tilted his head. "How did you know I was-"

"Me father's a sailor," she replied simply.

"Ah," he said. "Your friend seems to have run off on you." He craned his neck to see where she had gone. There's something awfully familiar about that young woman.

"Her first trip ter Paris," Evelyn replied. "She's as curious as a child on Christmas morn."

Norrington chuckled. "What's your name, milady?"

"Evelyn Rose."

"Beautiful name," he said. "I hear a bit of Ireland in your voice."

"Aye. Ye would." She had him wrapped around her little finger. She grinned.

"This may sound a bit forward, but may I see you again? While I'm here it would sure be nice to be able to talk to someone who doesn't speak French all the time." He grinned at her.

"If our paths cross again, I don't see any harm in that." She had no interest in him, but it didn't hurt to become friendly with the enemy. You never knew when it might come in handy.

Evelyn bid him good day and ran off to find Elizabeth. She found her hiding behind a barrel full off apples.

"What in the blazes are ye doin' down there, girl?" Evelyn asked, laughing.

"I know that man." Elizabeth said. "We were engaged once."

"No wonder ye ran off like that," Evelyn said, pulling Elizabeth to her feet. "He seems nice. A little full of hisself, but not bad fer a bloody red coat."

"He's here for Jack, Evelyn." Elizabeth looked her straight in the eyes. "He's tracked The Pearl all the way to France."

"Don't worry," Evelyn said with a smile. "Me father has the ship well hidden. Unless the idiot decides to go wandering the streets, he'll be safe."

The pair headed back to Porthos' flat without another word between them.

AN: As juicy as he looked in DMC, I had to put good ol' Norrington in here somewheres...

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