A/N: Ok so this was quite a quick update as an apology for my lateness in the last chapter!! I know your all looking forward to the arrival of Jack again so I will be short with my little note! I just wanted to thank my reviewers so much for...well reviewing!!! If it hadn't been for you egging me on I would have never got this far! Thankyou all!!!

I'll miss out the disclaimer, you all know the drill by now anyway, on with the show!!

Chapter 16: Rain

The morning dawned cold and stormy. Sheets of rain hit the windows of the Inn creating a similar noise to that of a brass band. Wind howled in the trees and whistled around the building. Great...the unpredictable weather changes of the Caribbean were kicking in.

However nothing could darken my mood. I felt like my head was up above the clouds where the sun was shining. I was finally going to meet back up with Jack and the Pearl. I would be a loner no more.

I half ran half skipped down into the kitchen where Jim stood absent minded polishing a beer mug with an old cloth. He had been dead impressed when I told him the tale of how I had ferociously almost cut the poor man's throat. He became almost a little afraid of me until I reassured him that I would never threaten him, well not unless he did something I was against that is. He had given a nervous smile at the last bit, not knowing whether to take it seriously as a joke.

"I'm gunna miss havn' you aroun'," he muttered.

I smiled at him, "Don't worry I'll be back later to pick up m' things!"

The weather outside was enough to drown an elephant but I strolled out into it none the less, my head held high. By the time I reached the harbour I was soaked to the bone, my hair hanging in rat's tails around my shoulders. But I was still in the good high spirited mood that I had been in since I heard the news that I was going to be re-united with Jack at long last.

A stray seagull cried out above my head before being swept out and lost in the vast blackness of the sea. My eye's scanned the surrounding boats trying vainly to spot the deep black wood which was the Pearl. I couldn't see it...not yet anyway.

There were few people around the harbour and those that were near were running as fast as they could into the closest Inn or Tavern trying to find a dry spot. Its amazing, I thought to myself, how people suddenly become sober at a bit of water.

Of course Tortuga doesn't have a harbour master, no one cares who is entering or leaving the town or how long they stay for, so soon I was left all by myself with only the last few stragglers running into shops or houses.

"Come on Jack," I muttered again scanning the sea once more.

I was getting a little uncomfortable. When you can feel that your knickers are as soaked as if you'd just jumped into the sea you begin realise that you're a bit on the wet side.

The minutes ticked by about as fast as a mime artist on a London street corner. I was beginning to loose my excitement, only managing to retain it as I forced myself to believe that the fortune teller had told it so.

What if he had been lying? What is he didn't really know the answer so told me a phoney one so I'd leave him alone?? What if he couldn't tell the fortune at all??? Questions and worry's streaked through my mind and I stood gazing out at the bleak sea whilst it roared turned like an aggravated lion.

"Come on!" I urged at the turning waves pleading that the next time they rolled over they would produce a black speck of a ship....The Black Pearl.

My teeth chattered violently but I ignored them desperately telling myself that "They'll be here in a minute...any minute now."

But nothing came. No black ship on the horizon. No crew to take me away. No Jack.

I looked up at the clock tower which stood a few streets away but stood up high enough to read from the harbour. It was quarter past twelve...he wasn't coming. The fortune teller had said that Jack would be here in the morning and it was clearly now the afternoon and he was not yet here.

He wasn't coming. Disappointment flooded my body, extinguishing my excitement like boiling water being poured onto an ice cube.

But then there was another feeling. The fortune teller had lied. He lied to me knowing full well what I could do.

My face darkened and I turned my back to the sea and stormed back up into the town.

He lied.

I turned the corner.

I stood waiting for two hours!

I half ran down the street where the child had been the previous day.

I'm wet and cold!!

I faced the blackened door.

False hope.

I was mad, angry. My cutlass was already clenched in my hand, my fingers wrapped so tightly around it that my knuckles were white.

Throwing the door open I stormed in. People were talking again but I didn't care. The anger coursed through my veins, cursing every fibre with anger.

Dagger stood before me with another man, whose back was turned.

Dagger turned, his face turning paler than it already was at the sight of me.

"Where is she?!?" the other man roared at Dagger.

Suddenly the anger inside me vanished so quickly that I couldn't be sure that is was there is the first place. My face went from fury to shock, from shock to relief.

The man with his back turned to me froze as if realising someone was behind him. A man with a three cornered hat. A man with braids streaming through his hair. A man I knew well.

"Jack!" I cried.