Nope, don't own a thing.

Thanks for the continued reviews... they're so heartening!

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The next morning, I found myself in the stable, tending to my bay Connemara pony, Allegro. His name was all that remained of my brief fascination with the piano. But, I'd never lost interest in riding him.

My father had gone out for the day, having a need to visit with Commodore Gillette about James Norrington's plans for an upcoming attack rumored to be afoot coming out of Nassau. Of course, he hadn't told me that, but I made it my business to know what was going on.

Will had promised to come by, but the sun was already high in the sky before I saw his shadow fall across the entrance to the stable. I turned to find him accompanied by Rachel.

When he approached me, I saw the dark slashes under his eyes, indicating that he hadn't gotten much sleep. Rachel, on the other hand, looked worlds better than she had the day prior. Her dark hair was pulled into an elaborate knot and she wore a fuchsia dress with a lace underskirt and snug bodice. I had to make concerted effort not to smooth my own plain gown and tousled brown locks.

He took my hand and brushed his lips against it, even though I was quite dirty and smelled of my horse. He smiled at me, albeit wearily.

"Hard night?" I asked, simply.

He missed the hint of jealousy in my voice, or at least, choose to ignore it and rolled his eyes. "She's a devil, this one." He moved to say more, but Rachel chose that moment to insinuate herself between us. She's THE Devil is more like it, I thought. But I smiled brightly, determined not to let her see how she bothered me.

"Good day, Miss Sparrow. Did you find Will's apartment behind the forge to your liking?" I asked, sweetly. I'd seen the rooms he inherited from Mr. Brown after the smith's unfortunate anvil-related accident the previous year. The rooms were small, but tidy.

"They were serviceable. But the company was infinitely worthwhile," she grinned at Will. I clamped my teeth together and tossed a look at Will, who rubbed the bridge of his nose and shook his head.

"Oh really? I'd love to hear more. Perhaps you'd like to take a horseback ride with Will and I?" I offered, taking her arm and leading her to a dun mare, Ambition. She was a retired jumper, an easily manageable horse for anyone inexperienced. Of course, my father's Lippizan, Tristan, chose that moment to nicker at me. He stood about a half a hand taller than my pony, but had twice the girth. He was a young horse, sent as a gift from Lord Chancellor of England, as a reward for turning Cutler Beckett over to his officers. Tristan was high spirited, and though he was friendly and intelligent, he was not yet fit for riding.

"Oh, I'd love to. I'll take this one!" She pronounced, moving towards the grey steed.

Will put himself between the horse's stall and Rachel. "Not that one. He's not quite ready. How about this lovely mare?" He gestured toward Ambition.

"Oh, come on Will! I've been around horses before. I can handle him," she made to step past him but he stayed her by placing his hands on her bare shoulders. I shot of jealousy shot through me.

"How about we skip the ride today? You are going to sea, after all. Your father requested that Will teach you swordsmanship, right Will," I asked, pointedly.

I'm sure that time, the jealousy in my voice was unmistakable and he took his hands from her skin as though she'd burned him. "Right," he answered. He busied himself appropriating a sword for Rachel. "We can practice right here in the corridor." He placed a light, balanced sword in her right hand, "Does it feel manageable to you?"

She tested it's weight and smiled up at him, "Yes. It's fine."

Will then proceeded to take the sword from her hand and give it to me. "Love, do you remember the lesson I gave you yesterday."

I colored. I remembered more than one, but simply nodded.

"Okay, what are the six most likely places an opponent can strike?" he asked.

I counted them on my fingers as I answered, "The top of your head, your shoulders, your throat, behind your legs, your wrists, or your stomach." I smiled, pleased with myself. He reciprocated and Rachel pulled a face behind his back.

When he turned to her, she replaced her sneer with a sweet smile. "Have you got that? The most important thing about sword fighting is your ability to defend yourself,"Will asked.

She nodded, once more. He turned back to me and lifted his own sword from the scabbard at his side. "Now, Elizabeth, please show me all the defensive maneuvers you can remember."

I'd done quite well at these. So, I displayed each as he gestured slowly with his sword. First above my head to his vertical strike. Next, perpendicular to the ground and between my shoulders to his horizontal strike. And, last, a downward swing to his forward thrust. He rewarded me with another broad smile that lit his eyes and chased the shadows away. I fairly beamed at him.

He turned back to the sullen Rachel. She'd obviously expected my to do poorly. He took the sword from my hands and gave it to her. "Can you repeat what you just saw?"

She smiled at him, cheekily. "Of course."

He raised his sword straight in front of him with both hands on the hilt. She mimicked him. "No, you should protect your head by holding the sword above your head and parallel to the ground. Here," he turned back to me and placed his sword in my hands and moved behind her to guide her movements. Putting a sword in my hands while he had his on her was probably not a wise move, but I was determined to be good.

I repeated what Will had just done,struggling only slightly for his sword as a great deal heavier. He stood behind Rachel and moved her arms.

For each attack I put up, Will showed her the appropriate parry. Finally, I made to thrust the sword at her stomach. Rather than follow Will's instruction, she mimicked me and thrust toward me. I leapt to the left, narrowly missing her strike. I landed hard against my pony's stable door. I remained standing, but pain rocked through my shoulder. Will snatched Rachel's sword from her hands and hurried to my side.

"Are you all right? Elizabeth, are you hurt?" Will asked, frantically running his hands over my bodice. Finding no tears in the cotton of my dress, he moved to my shoulder.

"I'm fine. My shoulder hurts some, but I've survived worse," I answered. I knew it hadn't been dislocated, but I knew a dark bruise would bloom there. He kissed my forehead roughly before turning on Rachel.

"What were you thinking?"

She shrugged and replied with no conviction, "I'm sorry Will, Miss Swann. I thought what I was doing was right."

He pulled her out the stable door and I watched as he put a long stick in her hand. He spoke some harsh sounding words and came back to me.

"She's going to practice with that so she can't hurt anyone," he growled. "Are you really okay?" he asked, his quiet voice full of concern.

I smiled, "Yes, I'm really okay."

He grinned at me and pulled me close. He leaned back against the door of an empty stable. I out my right leg between both of his, effectively pinning him. "So, what happened last night?"

His grin faded a little as he related the events of the previous evening. "After I got her home and fed her, I put her in my room in the back of the forge and bedded down on the cot I'd slept in as an apprentice in Dolly's pen."

I touched his jawline and smiled at him, "Oh, I feel so badly that you had to sleep with the donkey. She could have just stayed here."

He grinned at me, "You should feel worse for the donkey, she was just as uncomfortable." I laughed. He continued, "That's not the worst of it, though. She kept me up half the night, asking for things."

"What things?"

"Some water, another blanket, the list goes on. I don't think she wanted any of it. She just wanted to keep me awake," he rolled his eyes.

"And, of course, since you're a gentleman, you hadn't the heart to say no," I smiled up at him, and wrapped my fingers in his waistcoat. I bent my face up to kiss him and he obliged. I pressed against him, longing to have him beneath me. Providence smiled on me and the stable door fell open and we landed in a tangled heap on the fresh hay in the stall.

I sat up and studied him, "Oh, Will, are you okay?"

He smiled, "I've never been better."

I giggled we crawled backward so that we were fully hidden inside the big stall. I bent down to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me as close as we could be while still clothed. We'd only kissed for a brief moment when he pushed me gently away. "I don't think we should. I mean, we're so close to your home and anyone could come in -"

I cut him off with another kiss and insinuated my leg between his. I felt him moan deeply in his throat and I knew I'd have no more arguments. But, as usual, we were interrupted.

"Will? Where are you? I think I've got it! Come and see!" Rachel called, her voice coming ever closer. I crawled backwards and we stood. I brushed hay from his clothes and mine and we went back out into the corridor.

"Oh, there you are. Come and watch," she purred, reaching for Will's arm. He held himself away from her and we followed. I grinned at her frown.

We spent the rest of the afternoon dodging Rachel's wild blows and trying to find moments away from her. As supper approached, I heard my father's carriage pull up to the front of the house.

Will was about to take his leave, when James Norrington rounded the house, leading a white Andalusian toward the stable. He spotted us immediately and held up a hand to indicate that we should wait. A stable boy rushed out to take the mighty horse into the stable, leaving Norrington to walk towards us.

"Miss Swann, Mister Turner," he said, nodding at us each in turn and finally settling his gaze on Rachel, "And you must be Miss Sparrow?" he asked, giving the dark haired girl a sharp eye.

Norrington looked a sight better than last I'd seen him, running off with a treasure chest in order to "save" the rest of us. However, much had befallen him since then. He wore the common red of a military man at his lowest rank, but at least he didn't smell of pigs and rum.

Rachel curtsied and smiled warmly a the tall man. It seems that men of all shapes and sizes, unless they were servants, brought out her best side. I rolled my eyes. She looked at Will for introductions, but I spoke first.

"Mister Norrington, how do you do? Are you to join my father for supper?"

He nodded, "Yes, it seems that the Governor and I have come to an impasse and have further things to discuss. And I'm glad I came, for when Governor Swann told me of Mister Turner's out-of-town cousin, I had a sneaking suspicion that he'd been lied to."

I looked innocently at Will and then back at him, "Why, whatever do you mean?"

"I simply mean, Miss Swann, that this girl must be related to our mutual acquaintance and the cause of my perpetual ire, Captain Jack Sparrow," Norrington proclaimed. And with one last cursory glance in her direction, he looked back to me. "Am I right?" I hesitated just a moment too long, and he smiled, "Well, what shall I tell the Governor? That his own sweet daughter is squiring the offspring of an infamous and wanted criminal about town? Or shall we make a deal?"

Will stepped up then, his hand on his sword, "Are you thinking of blackmailing us, Norrington?"

"No, Mister Turner, I'm thinking of blackmailing my former fiancée," he stated simply, staring boldly into my eyes.

"For what? And you've not proof that she's Jack's daughter," I spat.

Norrington's eyebrows shot up and I realized I'd only served to further confirm his suspicion. "His daughter? She must be twenty at least! Has that man ever behaved normally?" he asked, incredulous.

Will snorted, "I asked the same thing."

Rachel stamped her foot, "Must we all stand around and talk about me as though I'm not here? Yes, I'm Jack Sparrow's daughter. That doesn't mean I am a criminal, does it?"

It was my turn to snort. She'd nearly murdered me in the stable. And she was bordering on criminally insane.

Norrington turned his attention back to me, "So, what shall I tell your father?"

"What do you want from me?" I demanded.

"See to it that I get promoted to First Lieutenant of the Interceptor, and I'll keep what I know to myself," came the riposte.

"How do you expect me to do that?" I asked.

He shrugged, nonchalantly. "It's no longer my problem." He gallantly offered his arm to Rachel and asked, "Shall we to supper?" She took it eagerly.

Will took my arm. "I suppose we ought to go as well?" he asked.

I held him tightly and we followed.