Disclaimer: POTC makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Jack opens his eyes slowly. He's lying on his stomach. Near his head is a plate of hardtack and a pitcher of what could be water. He closes his eyes again and tries to sit up. After a flood of pain washes over him, Jack gives up, and resigns himself to lying face down and swearing into his pillow.

Where the hell am I? he wonders, after his vocabulary of curses is depleted. He forces a wry grin. Squirrel could've kept going for at least two minutes longer. She's got the foulest language this side of the Spanish Main. Not that she likes to use it that often.

He raises one arm and gently traces his fingers across his back, wincing. Damn near torn open! He curses again, and drops his arm. I've got to get out of here.

Carefully, slowly, Jack rises to his feet, favouring the huge wounds across his back. He looks around, carefully. He's in a cabin, and judging from the way it's swaying, it's obvious he's on a ship. His memories come flooding back. He looks down at his hands.

"Ah, you're up."

Jack whirls around, then instantly regrets it. He swears and sits down on the edge of his pallet.

The woman raises an eyebrow. "Here." She hands Jack a bucket. "Being a guest aboard our ship, we decided you ought to have salt instead of seawater for your wounds. Enjoy your nap, Captain Sparrow?"

"Cut it with the small-talk, Ella." Jack snags the bucket out of her hands and scoops out a handful of salt. "Where the hell am I?"

Ella smiles amicably. "You're on my ship, obviously. And it's Captain Ella to you, Sparrow."

Jack scowls, then grits his teeth and scatters the salt on his back. He cries out in pain and swears again.

"Here." Ella comes forward and sits next to Jack. "Let me help."

Jack shies away. "Why the hell should I trust you?"

Ella raises an eyebrow. "You're on my ship, Sparrow. You're a guest here."

Jack snorts, but lets Ella treat his wounds. "Really? Do you give all your guests a night with the Captain's Daughter?"

Ella laughs pleasantly as Jack swears and grunts in pain. "No, but not many of our guests get in fights on Tortuga, injure my First Mate, then promise to take whatever punishment we decide is appropriate."

"So how many more lashes?" Jack focuses his eyes on the far wall of the cabin.

"You passed out after five." Ella says pleasantly. "It might be because you were drunker than a newt, though. So…" The woman pauses, thinking. "Twenty-three more."

"Fine." Jack hisses through his teeth. "Lemme tell my crew what's going on, first."

Ella sits back, surprised. "Oh, you can't do that, Captain Sparrow. See, we put Tortuga to our rudder last night. I think you'll find that it's very into daylight now, and that hole of a place is far behind." Jack's face is a mask of horror. Ella's expression becomes concerned. "Is something wrong?" She smiles again. "Oh, I see. This isn't about that girl you were mumbling about last night, is it?"

"It's everything about her." Jack stares into space, lost in thought.

Ella smiles, then rubs more salt in Jack's wounds. "Really?" The smile turns secretive. "How intriguing."

"Squirrel?" Ana slides her head around the doorway. "Squirrel, where are you?"

There's a noise in the galley. Ana decides to check there. Typical. If she's worried, she'll either eat herself sick, or cook. Well, her cooking's great and everything, but then Gibbs feels left out. The Negro woman allows herself a vicious grin. Maybe Squirrel should worry more often.

"Squirrel!" Ana says, as she approaches the door, "We're going to cast lots to see who does the dishes." She rounds the corner. "And we were wondering…"

Squirrel looks up, arms in soapy water up to her elbows. Ana's mouth forms a perfect 'o'. Squirrel turns back around.

Ana sighs. "Girl, I thought I told you…"

"It helps, you know." Squirrel says absently, "Doing ch-chores like these. It takes my m-mind off the little th-things." She bites her lip. "I mean, I'm g-good at it. I've been d-doing it since… since T-Tortuga… and I…" She gives a shuddering sigh. "Don't m-mind me."

Ana shakes her head, then places a hand on Squirrel's shoulder. "Stop fretting, Squirrel. At least we know we're heading in the right direction. If it wasn't for that friend of yours, we wouldn't even know where to start looking."

Squirrel laughs hesitantly, voice still on the verge of cracking. "I owe Sharky two life debts n-now. I d-don't know h-how I'll ever r-repay him."

"Believe me." Ana says gently. "We'll find a way. After we find Jack."

The plates crash angrily together under the soapy water. "Why kidnap him? There was no ransom note, no warning, nothing!" Squirrel grits her teeth and attacks caked-on grime with a rag. "It doesn't make any sense! It's just… gah!" She snarls at the stubborn stain.

Ana opens her mouth to speak, can't think of anything to say, and gives up. "I'll let the others know you're doing the dishes tonight. Thanks for that."

"Yes." Squirrel says, distracted. "And after this, I'm going rat-hunting."

Ana stares at Squirrel's back for a moment. Like every other ship in the ocean, the Pearl had its share of rat infestation. Two ways of getting rid of them was either to poison them or to brain them. Squirrel had earlier said she hadn't the heart to harm the vermin either way… or by any other method the crew could suggest.

"Why?" Ana asks, after a moment's stunned silence.

Squirrel doesn't even look over her shoulder. "Because we're running low on supplies." She replies, a little tersely.

Ana stares, then heads back on deck, trying not to imagine roast rat, boiled rat stew, or any other variety of rat dish. What would Jack think of that? Ana's stomach twists, not just because of her imagination. If Jack were here, that is…Her face darkens. Of all the people in the Caribbean to kidnap Jack Sparrow, it had to be her…

A/N: School is killing me. At least there's only one year to go…