A/N: And now...what ya'll been waiting for...the second half of the story! Thanx 4 all tha praises and reviews, they made me feel all warm and squishy inside.

Chapter 16

10 years later (August 1720, Port Royale).

"Ana!" Came a voice from the ship deck.

"What!" She yelled back opening an eye. Who the hell was disturbing her privacy now? She'd been working like a dog ever since about 4 a.m. and she had been rewarded about an hour worth of sleep and someone was cutting in on it.

"Land!" Replied the voice, "Captain's orders mann the deck!"

Ana sighed an irritable sigh as she got out of her hammock.

As she came upon the deck she looked around. Her skin was the same except that it was about half a shade darker; it now resembled a rich coffee browness. Her hair now went to her shoulders instead of the middle of her back because after leaving Port Royale 10 years ago she had gotten it cut at a barber's shop in Hispanola. She had grown a few inches taller so now she stood about 5'9'' which was considered tall for girls. Her body had filled out a bit a bigger chest, bigger backside, and flatter stomach and one of the most noticeable changes was that she had gotten a bit more muscles from all the hard work she had done. Besides changing physically, she had also changed mentally. Along with leaving Jack and Port Royale that day she had also left her innocence behind. Now spite and emptiness filled her and sometimes anger and rage reared its ugly head. Along with her new attitude she had mastered the art of hiding her true feelings which helped on raids in which she became emotionally involved.

After surveying her surroundings she made her way to where the rest of the crew and the captain was at the wheel.

Captain Zaccariah Pendleston or leadbelly as he was commonly known because of the legend that he had survived a cannonball shot to his belly during a sea battle and survived unharmed was eyeing all of his crewmembers. At 42 years old he had seen many things and been many places. He had a ruddy complexion and copper red hair that accentuated his ruddy complexion and made him resemble that of a tomato when fairly upset. he was of average height with a bit of a pot belly from his heavy drinking. Another thing he was known for was his short temper. One time during a raid in Cuzco, Bolivia he had killed the whole family of a house they had been raiding and then he had decapitated them and stuck their heads on pikes on their lawn and hung their bodies on trees ruthlessly without giving a legitimate reason.

"Men," he remarked as he paced in front of them, "we're nearin' Port Royale one of da richest ports in da whole Caribbean an' home to some of da best spirits an' women in da world right men?"

"Aye!" Replied all of the sailors merrily except Ana who just rolled her eyes.

"When we reach Port we'll take two days an' meet back 'ere bright an' early ya got dat?" He asked.

"Aye!" Came the joyous replies. After 3 weeks on the sea since their last raid they were anxious to reach port as it slowly came into view.

Ana viewed the port with tranquil mutualness. The last time she was here she had been 18, innocent, and in love. Now she was 28, a pirate, and alone in the world. Looking at it brought back memories of being wanted, and other feelings she didn't want to delve too much into. This place was her past, a past that she thought she had left behind.

They dropped anchor at an abandoned pier not too far from the main ports because of the new rules. Port Royale being the loyal port that it was had cracked down on piracy enforcing laws that if a pirate was caught in Port Royale they would be condemned to death. Ana had heard about these rules, but the most she had suffered was some jail time in a South American prison.

After dropping anchor they made the 45 minute hike from the abandoned pier to the waterside wharves. Once they got to the wharves they each went their seperate ways.

As she turned to go into a bar, Leadbelly called out to her.

"Ana."

She spun around, "yea Cap'in." She replied with her new dialogue which she had picked up from working on different ships.

"I need ta speak wit ya." He motioned towards a bar.

Ana nodded as she followed him. She took one look at the bar. It had dark bark on the outside with a sign that 'The Giralda Inn'. Inside it was dark and smelt like many bars usually did the usual tobacco smoke from cigars and pipes, the smell of alcohol, and the usually sweet smell of perfume from the bargirls and prostitutes that vied for the men's attentions. In one section where the bartender was stood a gigantic portrait of the owners Ned and Nancy Pennyfeather behind him. Ned had curly red hair which was unlike his wife's which was straight and black. Ned was over 6 feet while Nancy was about 5'7''. Ned's face had some freckles while Nancy's was of a spotless complexion. Their son Nathaniel or Nate was bartending, his auburn hair pulled back in a ponytail His brown eyes eyed them for a moment before returning back to his orders.

Ana and Leadbelly sat down, and when a barmaid came over to take their orders Leadbelly ordered an ale while Ana ordered rum.

Ever since she had left she had developed a taste for alcohol especially rum, but she drank it sparringly so she was rarely drunk.

"Ana how long ya been sailin' wit me?"

Ana took a sip before answering "bout a year an' a half."

"Well as ya know there's been an increase in our numbers an' ya've been really 'elpful on a few of our pas' raids an battles..."

As he droned on and on Ana was trying to keep from showing how bored she was. She knew what he was trying to say. He was basically trying to tell her that he didn't need her anymore. She hated it when they tried to sugarcoat things just because she was a woman.

Damnit I'm a pirate not some dainty woman whose gonna break out crying if you tell me you don't need me anymore! Just tell me so I can go look for another ship to sail on! Her mind screamed as her face portrayed one of nonchalantness.

"An I'm afraid ta say I'm not in need of ya services any longer."

God he makes it seem like I'm a whore. She thought with disgust as she got up to leave.

"But," he interrupted, "ya're one of tha finest pirates I've eva had tha pleasure ta know." He praised curtly.

"Tha's wha' I've been told." She answered as she finished her rum and left with the familiar burn down her throat and warmth in her belly following her out.

What she didn't know was that someone had been watching her with interest from a table not too far from where she had been.

A/N: Okay also as a quick P.S. don't get mad about the way how they talk. See you in cahpter 17, I know this is a short chapter, but I was so excited by your review that I wanted 2 update quickly.