Okay, sorry it took so long, but chapter two is finally up! YAY! heheh...okay, ill be posting a lot sooner now, because im on summer vacation, and therefore--i have a LOT more time! XD yay!

Disclaimer: None of what you recognize is mine...unfortunately. :(

Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Two

As the feather-light fingers of the sun brushed over the horizon, Ana-Maria approached Jack's cabin. Rapping slightly against the polished wooden door, she strained her ears for a response from within. Nothing. She tapped once more, then called out to Jack.

"Cap'n! We need a headin'! The crew's back from shore an' anxious t'sail." She waited, expecting a drowsy mumble or slurred order. Nothing. "Cap'n!" She called out again, annoyed at Jack's lack of response. 'Fine.' She thought. 'He asked for it.'

Squaring her shoulders, she rammed against the sturdy wooden door, stumbling into the cabin as it gave way. Her eyes adjusting to the gloom, Ana-Maria frowned slightly at the stillness of the room. She turned a half-circle, eyes searching for any sign of the captain.

"Jack!" she called out, half-expecting a 'Captain, love, Captain!' When there was no answer, she whirled around, and stomped out the door. "Probably at the bloody rum again!" she muttered viciously, heading below in search of her captain.

Meanwhile, the missing captain was having troubles of his own. Strapped down on a cold metal table, Captain Jack Sparrow grit his teeth as the large silver knife bore into the bared skin on his back. He had been brought into this session barely an hour ago, but it seemed much longer than that.

Jack could hear the man chuckling softly at the hapless state he was in. Biting back his pain as the knife relentlessly dug into new patches of skin, Jack savagely vowed not to give the man the pleasure of breaking. Blood ran down his back to the floor in steady gushes, coating the white stone in the sticky substance.

His eyes snapped shut, determined not to let the man see how it was affecting him. "Oh Jack. This'll ne'er do. I wan' yew t'scream wit' pain, sobbin' and bawlin' yer pretty eyes out. Bet seein' as yer not, 'ows about we turn up the fun a bit, eh? Would yew like tha'?"

So saying, the man in black turned away from Jack, busying himself with rummaging through the small closet that stood at the far corner of the room. After a few minutes, he found what he was looking for and turned around, a chilling smile on his face under his mask.

Jack couldn't see what the man was holding from his position, so he could only wait as the man came closer and closer. When he finally neared the table where Jack was bound, the man held up his new play-toy in his hand, grinning sadistically as Jack's eyes widened in a brief flash of fear.

Two guards stood outside the room that their boss and prisoner currently occupied. "Wha' d'yew think they're doin' in there, Crumley?"

"Oh, I don' know, havin' a cup'o'tea?" The guards laughed in dark humour at that.

"Oi! Crumley, wha' are yew doin'?"

"Tryin' t'see wha' they're doin' in there." Crumley replied in an exasperated tone as he peered into the small hole in the door. He looked in, then gagged in revulsion, stumbling back from the door. In his haste to retreat, he fell over, knocking his partner down as well onto the grimy corridor floor.

"Wha' they doin', Crumley?" The guard peered anxiously at his friend, voicing his question.

"B-boss h-has 'im strapped down, an'—an'—"

"An' wha'?"

"There's blood all over th'floor an' Boss is, he's—he's usin' it."

"It?"

"He's usin' it." Crumley repeated, in shock at what he had seen.

"Wha' is it, Crumley? Wha's it?"

"The Boss's new toy, th'one tha' we picked up from the pirate Captain Shalome. 'member it? We was goin' t'jus' loot 'is ship an' take th'crew captive, but the Boss foun' it, an' sunk th'ship. No survivors, 'member?" Crumley rambled on, horror and shock evident in his tone.

"Wai', Boss's usin' tha' thing?"

"Aye, tha's wha' I been tryin' t'tell yew."

"Lord merciful 'eavens." The guard mumbled. Crumley looked at his partner in surprise.

"Wha' did yew jes' say?"

"Wha'? Oh tha'. I picked it up from Shalome, he said tha' when I was in 'is cabin."

"Come on, Suthers, we bes' be getting' back t'our positions afore Boss comes out an' finds us lyin' on the floor like pigs in a sty."

"Goo' idear, mate."

Ana-Maria strode to the helm, her brow creased in worry. Jack was nowhere to be found. She had searched his cabin, below deck, the crew's quarters, the rum room. No captain. Spotting Gibbs, she strode over to him, her boots clicking on the polished deck.

"Mr. Gibbs! 'ave you seen Jack 't'all lately?" She called out, surprising Gibbs who jumped slightly, then turned around.

"Jack? 'Fraid not. 'owe'er, I 'ave seen somethin' odder than Jack. Look o'er there, missy. See tha' black smudge? There ain't no land aroun' these waters. Leas', there ain't supposed t'be…" Gibbs trailed off ominously, lowering his voice into a whisper. "I'm willin' t'bet tha' smudge there 'as somethin' t'do wit' not bein' able t'find Jack, eh?"

Ana-maria studied the smudge on the horizon, not liking what she saw. "I s'ppose so. But so help me Gibbs, if Jack 'as somethin' t'do wit' that, or it 'as somethin' t'do with Jack, I 'ave a feelin' we're all goin' t'be in trouble.

"Aye miss. That I can agree wit'."

Released from his latest session, Jack lay crumpled on the floor of his cell, chocolate eyes squinted shut against the pain in his back. His hands twitched into fists, then relaxed. Breathing in thick, harsh pants, he slowly straightened out, wincing as the grimy floor touched his back. Hauling himself painfully to his feet, his slender hands gripped the bars in the door of his cell. Blinking his eyes shut, Jack visualized the Pearl, anchored at Tortuga, the black sails flapping in a small breeze. A ghost of a smile lingered on his lips, before he opened his eyes and reality sank in.

This time, he couldn't just pretend it was all a bad dream. This time, he had to face the consequences, and bear through it like a man. No more dreaming now. He couldn't plot his way out of here, not while the Man in Black was alive, with Jack's deepest, darkest secret hanging over his head.

His eyes snapped open, as he steeled himself for what he had to do.

Alright. so there it is! how'd you like it? reviews please...XP