"But you have to escape!"

"Oh really, and just how do you intend I do that young Missy?"

"How should I know, your Captain Jack Sparrow, your the one who's escaped from ports and gallows all over the world!"

"Not without a certain amount of help, and who's going to help me? Uncle Norrington?"

It was the afternoon of the next day and they were carrying out their argument in angry whispers. Anne had woken that morning with the sudden realisation that Jack would hang the next day unless something was done. She knew her uncle couldn't help and there was no chance of a reprieve from Commodore Gillette, so she had decided it was up to her to help Jack escape.

"If you wore a disguise you could get passage on a ship to England."

"Why England?"

"Anywhere you want, it doesn't matter!" There were tears in her eyes as she tried to shake him by the front of his shirt. "You can't just give up!" She began to cry silently and he put his arms around her.

"Come on love," he whispered in her ear, "don't be like that." She looked up at him and tried to wipe her eyes. "Where would I go eh? An old pirate like me? Who'd take me in?"

"I would." she mumbled. He gave her a kindly golden grin.

"I know you would love. I know you would but I'm too old to start everything over again." She wriggled out of his arms and looked at him defiantly.

"You can't simply deprive me of an uncle I've only just met!"

He leaned against the wall and sighed, casting his eyes up to where the light flooded in through the little barred window. For a long time he was silent, then he nodded at her.

"Alright. If it makes you any happier I'll try, but we have to do this quietly." She hugged him and made him wince. "After all," he muttered to himself, "a sparrow shouldn't die in a cage."

The sun was bright in the sky on the morning of Jack's hanging. The wooden gallows had been erected in the courtyard of the fort the night before and the hangman was busy making last minute adjustments. Other than that all was quiet, the crowd having not yet gathered for the spectacle. In his cell Jack Sparrow was having breakfast under the tense gaze of his accomplice.

"And your certain you remember the signal?" she asked him for what seemed the thousandth time.

"Yes."

"Certain?"

"Absolutely bloody positive love." She fell silent and took to fidgeting.

"Jack..." she said after a while.

"Look," he replied in exasperation, "it isn't a difficult plan, I remember everything fine and you'll only make yourself more worried by thinking about it o'er much, savvy?" She stared at him.

"Not what you were going to say?" She shook her head. "Sorry love, what was it?"

"I just wanted to know," she paused as though considering her next words carefully, "in case this doesn't go quite... according to plan."

"You mean if I swing."

"Yes. I just wanted to know, since this might be the last chance I get to talk to you, what happened between you and my father?" Jack gave a heavy sigh.

"You really want to know?" She nodded enthusiastically.

"All right then, although you probably won't like it. The thing that your old man and me fought about was your mam."

"My mother?"

"Yes. You see one day I came along for a visit, risking life and limb to be in Port Royal as usual, well your dad comes out to meet me in a fine mood, asks what's been going on between me and Elizabeth. Of course I didn't know what he was talkin' about, took me hours to get it out of him. Seems that some nights before your dear mother happened to say my name aloud in her sleep and your da had a couple of days to stew about it before he spoke to me and had managed to build it up into some ridiculous accusation against me!" He looked at her face carefully. "I told you you wouldn't like it." She shook her head in disbelief.

"But, you and he were friends, why would he accuse you of such a thing! Didn't he ask my mother?"

"Apparently not. He always was quick to judge, just like his dad before him. Decisions now, consequences later, that's how it was with both of them. Not that I really blame him, I mean I did spend a rum sodden night on a deserted island with your mother before they got married. If she ever told him about that I can see why he would be angry."

"How can you be so kind!" she asked incredulously. "He treated you despicably and you sit there and forgive him for it!" Jack shrugged quietly.

"I've been treated despicably and treated others despicably all my life, especially by your family. There's no such thing as honour amongst thieves, just a kind of pitiful understanding."

There was the sound of footsteps from above and the voices of the guards as they came down the steps.

"Try not to worry about it love," he whispered quickly, winking at her devilishly as he got to his feet. "Good morning gentlemen."

"Morning sir," said Mr Mullroy Jnr, "and to you Miss Turner."

"Good morning." she murmured quietly, regaining her composure.

"I'm afraid it's time," said the guard, "Admiral Norrington requests that you join he and Commodore Gillette miss." She nodded resolutely and turned to Jack.

"It was an honour to meet you Captain Sparrow."

"Same to you love," he replied calmly and smiled after her as she left. "She likes me," he told the guards who smiled cautiously, not used to prisoners being cheerful on their way to the noose. They bound his hands and lead him up to the waiting sunshine and the expectant crowd.