My dearest Esperanza,

Even though I have returned you to your home in hopes of seeing all sadness vanish from your eyes, I must also admit that my intentions were selfish.

I feared that if you continued by my side any longer, you would see me for the kind of man I truly am.

The kind of pirate I am.

I wished for you to continue seeing me as you saw me, no matter how false it may be…I assure you, it is better than the truth. I could never condemn you to live the lifestyle I lead…you are much too rare and this would only drain all life and feeling from you.

Just like it had done to me.

But you alone were able to revive me.

That is why I cannot make it more clearly to you that you must deny me in any form. If a day should come that must testify against me, I must ask that you do so in order to save yourself from sure death. I could never be able to live with myself if you are to suffer for my doing.

Sincerely Yours,

Captain Jack Sparrow.

p.s. - Burn this letter after you have read it.

Esperanza read Jack's letter again for the probably thousandth time. It had been two years since she had read it for the first time but no matter how many times she read it, she always found something new in it.

And today she needed to fin something good. Something to remind her that there was something good left in the world. For her, that something good was Jack.

After her return home two years ago, it had been made very clear to her that she was considered too old to be married and would have to dedicate her life to another matter. So she started reading and buying books, it wasn't long before she found an interest in medicine, which proved for the best. Not long after that night her father had grown sick and had been confined to a bed.

Esperanza had stayed by his side each and every day. She had even told him about her adventures while being kidnapped by pirates. He alone knew the truth about Jack and the Pearl and everything. She would sit at his bedside and laugh with him when she told about Jack's way of walking in a slightly drunken swagger, acompained by slurred speech and flailing hand gestures.

She had also taken the duty of governess for her younger siblings. She believed they were better off being taken care of by her than some English nanny Lucy wanted to hire.

She folded Jack's letter again and tucked it inside her dress pocket.

The door of her room clicked open behind her. She turned and begun walking towards Anna.

"Come child, it's time we go" Anna said softly pulling the dark veil over Esperanza's face.

The carriage ride up to the church was a lonely and silent one. Anna sat by her side, her hand firmly holding hers.

At the church service, wails and sobs could be heard over the voice of the preacher but none came from Esperanza. She cried in silence under her veil and always kept her strong posture. The preacher began talking of her father's life and how it had been a miracle that he had been able to battle the sickness for two years.

But it wasn't good enough Esperanza told herself. She had bought and read every single book of medicine she could find, searching for her father's symptoms in hope of finding a cure. Some home remedies always helped to ease the pain but nothing could cure him.

Now it was too late.

The service moved to the cemetery where her father's casket was lowered into the ground. Esperanza had made sure he had the very best of everything, from the flowers to the stone; everything was the best that could be found. He deserves the best.

As soon as the men started filling the tomb with dirt Esperanza heard a commotion from behind her.

There were two men pushing past the crowd and making their way towards her.

"What is the meaning of this? How dare you disrespect my father in such way?"

"All apologies to you father Ms. Gutierrez but this has nothing to do with him. We are here for you" The man in front of her said.

Esperanza was confused, what could they want from her?

"Then come to my residence at a better time. Not when I am in the middle of my father's funeral"

"I am afraid that will be impossible since I need some answers from you right now" He asked stepping closer to her.

"I had no idea authorities questioned civilians and such late hours of the day" she said noting that it was almost nightfall.

"Well this happens to be a special circumstance" he said and then turned to look at his companion "cuff her"

The old man came up to Esperanza, grabbed her hands and tightened the cuffs around her wrists.

"What is the meaning of this?! I demand to know" Esperanza said trying to push her hands apart whit the metal scratching against her skin.

"Now now Ms. Gutierrez, there is a way you can get out of this…I need any information you might have on a said pirate called Jack Sparrow"

Hearing that name made Esperanza turn to look at Lucy who was looking at her with a sick smile on her face. The witch must have overheard the conversations she had with her father. "I have no idea who or what you are talking about" Esperanza answered.

Lucy came over to the man in front of her and whispered something in his ear, his eyes darted to Esperanza's dress pocket. "Really?" he said with a smirk as he pulled out the folded letter, opened it and begun reading.

When he finished he laughed and looked at Esperanza "Maybe you should have listened to him and burnt it…because this letter just condemned you for crimes against the crown" he said receiving a gasp from the crowd of onlookers. "Take her away"

Two more men emerged from the crowd and grabbed Esperanza's arms. As they were leading her out of the cemetery she looked behind her and shot a glare at Lucy.

Jack paced back and forth in the small cell. How could he have gotten caught? his plan was flawless. Go in, get what he needed and back out. Of course he hadn't planned there being a cat sleeping on the floor in front of the window but that shouldn't have mattered.

He was lucky he had obtained what he came in for, after they arrested him and found out who he was, the authorities had completely forgotten to question why he was there in the first place.

They were idiots, all of them.

It wouldn't be long now before he figured out how to break out of here, he just needed to make sure he had the complete cover of the night.

The loud clanking sound of the door opening at the top of the stairs interrupted Jack's train of thought. He turned to look at who it was, maybe help had arrived.

Then he saw her, Esperanza, with her hands bound behind her back being led by two men. She wore a dark navy blue dress with a cloak around her shoulders and a dark veil was bunched on top of her head.

The two men opened his cell door and pushed her inside.

"Jack!" she said wrapping her arms around his waist as the two men ascended back up the stairs. She hugged tightly against him, her breasts pressed against his chest.

Woah were those there before?

"What are you doing here luv?" He asked, she wasn't supposed to be here, she should be back at home, safe; right where he left her two years ago.

She looked up at him not breaking her embrace "I kept my promise Jack I swear, I didn't tell them anything. They found the letter in my pocket…I knew I should have burnt it I'm so sorry I should have listened you"

He found himself smiling at her verbose apology and wrapping his arms around her to push her closer to him.

That wonderful smell filled Esperanza's nostrils, the smell of rum and sea salt that she had dreamed of experiencing once again.

Esperanza broke her embrace at the sound of footsteps behind them.

Lucy stepped towards the cell with a smile on her face.

"What are you doing here? I suppose you have no business in freeing me" Esperanza spat at her.

"You are right, now that you are exactly where you belong, I intend on doing everything I can to see you hang" She said crossing her arms in front of her. "I really must thank you. You made it all the easier for me. I got my revenge and got rid of you all in one try"

"Revenge? What are you talking about?" Esperanza questioned.

Lucy turned her gaze towards Jack "Do you remember a gentleman by the name of Lord Cutler Beckett?"

Jack shuffled a bit before answering "Well most definitely…maybe?"

"Of course you do" Lucy rolled her eyes and turned away from him. "I was set to marry him, I loved him. We would have had our perfect lives together living in luxury if it hadn't been for you!" she shouted in frustration still not looking at him.

Lucy regained her composure and looked at Esperanza with a smile "Now when I overheard you talking to your father about Jack Sparrow-"

"Captain" Jack cut in.

Lucy glared at him and continued "I couldn't let this wonderful opportunity pass up…call it fate or what not"

"You will pay for this" Esperanza sneered at her.

"Really? Because the way I see it. You'll hang in the morning and there's not much you can do to me from inside a cell, now is there?"

Esperanza tried to grab her neck "I'll kill you with my bare hands!" she screamed at her.

Lucy just back up and laughed at her "Good luck with that" she said before turning and leaving the dark room.

She turned around with her back against the wall of the cell and slid to the floor. She put her face in her hands and begun crying.

From across the cell Jack watched her, even though he had no idea how to comfort her, he couldn't stand to look at her like that.

He crossed the cell and sat down next to her, wrapping one arm around her shoulder.

Esperanza looked up at the novelty of having him do this on his own. She leaned on him, rested her head on his chest and wraped her arm around his waist.

"Don't worry Luv, good old Jack will find us a way out of here" Jack said trying to reassure her.

He still couldn't believe that he was sitting here with her in his arms.

She looked up at him with questions in her eyes.

"You trust me don't you?" He asked her.

She nodded and looked back down.

They sat there for what seemed like only an hour without speaking. Esperanza yawned loudly ,cuddling closer to him.

"Now sleep luv, while we wait"

She yawned again and closed her eyes "I love you Captain Jack Sparrow" she said softly before drifting into sleep.

Jack didn't speak as a realization hung in the back of his mind.

He loved her.

The guards could come in at any moment to lead him to his death, and if he had to die, he would go out thinking of this moment of happiness with her.

She made him happy. In a way he never thought possible…sober anyways.

These last two years without her had been torture.

And now when he was with her, it seemed like something inside him wanted to fly, to laugh.

Esperanza's even breathing told jack that she had fallen asleep.

He kissed the top of her head and whispered into the dark.

"Me too Luv, me too"

Yes I know…OOC-ness

-Luv-