The door closed behind Jack, and he and the captain of the Red Lust were left in silence. The captain's quarters were simple, clean, and modest; not what one would expect of a rampaging pirate leader.

Finally, Jack broke the silence. "Do you wear that getup all the time, then?"

Hayes chuckled and said, "Full of questions, aren't you? A good way of getting a crew to follow you is being a strong leader." He clasped his hands behind his back. "A smart way is getting them to fear you. Every man fears the unknown."

"So," said Jack slowly. "That's a yes, then?"

"I certainly hope you won't be like this the whole trip."

"One more." Jack flashed his teeth in a strange smile. "When do we go after my ship?"

"Despite the fact that you have the map, I'm sure Barbossa's been making attempts to travel to the Fountain. He'd have left a trail all over the Caribbean. After you take us to the Fountain—"

Jack shook his head. "I'm not taking you anywhere without my ship, savvy?"

Hayes nodded absently. "Understandable," he said, "to doubt my loyalty to our agreement. But you are on my ship, Sparrow, not the Pearl. You are not captain here, I am. I'm afraid I have also learned to be wary. You will lead us to the Fountain, and then my crew and I will assist you in freeing your ship from Barbossa."

Jack's hand was a blur, and when it stopped moving he held his pistol at Hayes, aimed at the man's head. "I'm sorry to say that doesn't work for me." Jack moved slowly, walking forward.

Hayes simply began to laugh. "My, my, Sparrow," he said. "If I'd have known you would be this entertaining I would have told James to let you keep your sword. Then this would really be fun." He shrugged. "Alas."

He ducked quickly, unsheathing his cutlass and swinging it. Jack fired, but Hayes hadn't been aiming for him. His cutlass smacked the pistol with a metallic clang, the shot firing harmlessly in a different direction.

"You shouldn't have tried to do that, Jack," said Hayes. The cutlass caressed Jack's cheek. "The crew will have heard the shot. Any minute now James will barge in. I have no control over him if he thinks I'm in any danger."

Jack gritted his teeth together. His arms were at his sides, and he fingered the outline of his dagger through his clothes. Thank God he'd had the sense to pick one up in Tortuga.

"Did it occur to you that I didn't ask my men to take your other weapons on purpose?" Jack could see that Hayes was smiling through the fabric. "I wanted to see if you were as rash as the stories say. The Pearl is very precious to you, isn't she? It's almost unhealthy."

"Depends on your definition of unhealthy, mate." Jack pushed hard on the smaller man, his palm flat against the man's chest. Caught off guard, he stumbled back, long enough for Jack to retrieve his dagger.

Hayes laughed again when he saw. "Alright. Come at me, then."

After a moment of contemplation, Jack lunged with the dagger. Hayes swatted it away with the blade of his cutlass. Again and again, clanging of metal filling the air. The door of the cabin opened, and Hayes' turned his head almost on reflex. Jack saw an opportunity and took it, but James, the one who had opened the door, shouted. As Jack took another swing with his dagger, Hayes took a step back. If his reaction time had been perfect, the dagger would have missed its target completely. As it were, Hayes' reaction was delayed. The point of the dagger caught on Hayes' fabric mask and ripped it, leaving a shallow slice on his cheek. Hayes tripped, landed hard on the floor, and the hood fell back from his head. James had drawn his gun, aimed it at Jack who, with a curse, dropped the dagger.

"James!" Hayes shouted, lifting himself up. "The door!"

James reached behind him, shut the door, and then Hayes stood to face Jack. The torn mask had fallen away, revealing Hayes' face and the horizontal cut that reached from just beside his nose almost to his ear. A thin line of blood dripped from it. Jack stared, mouth agape, speechless.

"What is it, Sparrow?" demanded Hayes sarcastically. "You look shocked."

Hayes dropped the cloak, and without it Jack could see the outline of his figure. Features were petite, soft, and skin like porcelain, untouched by the sun. Gloves hit the floor next to the cloak, revealing thin hands, filed nails. The strings at the neck were untied, and the skin there was pale as well. With the hood gone, Jack could see long auburn hair, perfectly straight, pulled back and tied with a string.

"You're..."

"Yes, Jack Sparrow," hissed Hayes fiercely. "I'm a woman."

Jack looked between James and Hayes. "Well, why aren't you surprised?" Jack asked James, throwing his hands up. Realization dawned. "You knew. Does the rest of the crew know?"

"No," said Hayes. "And I intend to keep it that way. If any of my men hear of this, you will not live in time to claim Parlay."

"Wait, well then, what's your real name?" asked Jack, the threat barely registering. "If you don't mind me asking, love."

"My real name is Daniella." She lifted her chin as she sheathed her cutlass.

"How did a lady such as yourself come to be captain of a pirate ship, Daniella?"

Her eyes narrowed. "I'm not sure how that brain of yours works, if it works at all, but despite your discovery nothing has changed." She walked forward, each word said with purpose. "You are still alive only on negotiated terms, and I am still captain of this ship. You will address me as such, is that clear?"

"Inescapably." He put his hands together and gestured at her with them.

There was a loud bang on the door. "Captain!" a rough voice shouted. "You're needed on deck urgently."

Instead of donning her cloak, Captain Daniella Hayes adjusted her ponytail higher on her head, piling her hair on top and putting on a dirty black tri-cornered hat. She ripped a piece of cloth from a scarf hanging on a chair in the corner, tying the thin black fabric over her mouth and nose.

"James," she said. "Take Sparrow back to his quarters and lock the door. I will have none of his shenanigans."

"Yes, Captain."

Hayes appeared on deck. "Reeves! What is it?"

"Look, sir," said the dirty man. "On the horizon."

She took the spyglass from him and looked through it. "A trading ship."

"Aye, Captain. Look beside it."

Her eyebrows raised. "Military escort."

"Aye, aye!" said Reeves excitedly. "They're coming from the direction of Port Royal, sir. It might be worthwhile for us to take a look."

"Liam!" Hayes called. The man, as slim as her but with a large scar running down his face, jogged over from the other side of the ship.

"Yes, Captain?" he said, his voice low and scratchy.

"Are we in need of any supplies?" she asked.

Liam's brown dreadlocks moved fluidly as he shook his head. "We stocked up everything we could when we stopped in Tortuga."

"Gunpowder?" she asked. "Rations, water?" He continued to shake his head. She nodded. "Reeves, keep steady on our course. We do not deviate."

Though Reeves seemed disappointed, he did not question her. "Shall we lower the flag, Captain?"

She lowered the spyglass, watched the ships as they came closer. The three ships were well on their way to pass each other if one didn't change their course. "No. Leave it. If they wish to come after us, I want them to think they have the upper hand." She gave the spyglass back and turned away. "Ready the men." Pausing, she added, "And remove the oars from the rowboat."

At the strange request, Reeves looked confused. "Sir?"

"I'm about to do something very stupid, and I want no chance of Sparrow escaping." She gave him a hardened look. "Why are you still here?"

Reeves scrambled away, muttering a quick, "Yes, sir." Hayes headed back below deck. She was about to ask Jack Sparrow for his help in navigating her ship. Just the thought made bile rise in her throat, but it had to be done. He had the map, he had the strange compass. It had to be done.

"Didn't see that one coming, eh, Jacky?" he muttered to himself, pacing the length of his cabin. "A woman. Huh!" He stopped. "She's quite pretty, I suppose. Her attitude reminds me of Elizabeth. All female pirates must have that superiority complex. I might have to watch myself around this—"

"Are you talking to yourself?"

Jack jumped, turning towards the door. Daniella had lowered the mask and was looking at him quizzically.

"Hm, what, no! Just...thinking out loud." He frowned. "Why are you here? I figured you were done with me for the time being."

Looking positively miserable as the words came out of her mouth, she said, "I need your assistance."

He grinned, lips curling up slowly. "Now those, love, are my favorite words to hear."

A/N: chapter three, done. review pleeeeeease.