Disclaimer: I tried to lure Jack into my house with rum, but Disney got in my way, so he's not mine.

AN: Caution: There is violence in this chapter! Not a lot of it, but someone does get shot in this chapter…I just hope that people aren't mad at me when it happens. I promise that this is a happy-ending story, and I hope that you enjoy it and will review, no matter what your opinions are of this chapter. Thanks!

Chapter 14: Expect the Unexpected:

Flicking my eyes open and looking around the space of my cabin, I noticed the empty spot where my darling kitten should be….should be?

"Oh, no, not again!" I groaned, hiding my face in my pillow. "Jack's going to kill me…"

Struggling out of my tangled bedsheets, I checked to see if the door was closed. It wasn't, so I carefully nudged it shut so that I could change out of the loose nightgown Padma had given me and into a white shirt, red vest, brown pants, and black boots, all of which were also gifts from my dear friend. Honestly, the woman supplied me with enough clothes to last three months!

Once I was dressed, I poked my head out of my door, glancing around to see if anyone else was awake. Not a sound from above, which meant that it was still early and that the crew was still asleep in their quarters. I sighed, wishing I could do the same, but I was the one assigned to make breakfast every morning. Before I did that, though, I had to go find my dangerously curious kitty…and I had the feeling as to where she had gotten to while I wasn't looking.

My booted feet made a soft clunking sound as I went up the steps and onto the main deck, my eyes searching it in case Ivory was wondering around. I spotted Mr. Cotton and Dusty up at the helm, so I cheerfully made my way up there, hoping that they had seen something. Even though Dusty is a bird and Ivory's a cat, the two get along fairly well, keeping a respectful distance from one another whenever possible. I felt that this was primarily due to the fact that Dusty had nearly bitten off Ivory's tail, right after Ivory tried to playfully capture Dusty's tail in the form of a game. From then on, the two respected one another and kept their distance, which Mr. Cotton and I helped with.

The mute man nodded a greeting to me, giving me one of his friendly smiles as I approached. "Hello, Mr. Cotton!" I greeted him, beaming at him. "I don't suppose you've seen my troublesome little kitten around this morning, have you?"

"Awk, wind in the sails!" squawked Dusty. "A pirate's life for me!"

I groaned. "Thanks," I said, my shoulders slumping. "I just hope that Jack's not going to take my head off again over this."

Mr. Cotton merely let out a snort of laughter before waving me away. I nodded my thanks to him and headed down towards Jack's cabin. The door was slightly open, like it always was whenever Ivory went missing from my room; she always managed to know if Jack's door was open, and if it wasn't, she usually returned to my cabin to sleep. However, it Jack's door wasn't fully closed…

I took a deep breath and knocked, loudly. A grunt and a curse met my ears, and I couldn't hold back a small giggle at the image of what might be going on in there. I heard Ivory 'meow' from inside as Jack began to move around, rum bottles and other odd things rolling along the floorboards as he tried to compose himself enough to greet me. Finally, after a few minutes, a rather flustered Jack Sparrow stood before me, his lips turned pulled into a grumpy frown as he held my sleepy kitten in his arms.

"Luv, how many times have I told you to keep a closer eye on this feline of yours?" he huffed, kohl-lined eyes narrowing at me as he thrust Ivory into my arms.

My lips tilted into an apologetic smile as I shrugged helplessly. "I'm sorry, Jack, but you know that I can't put a leash on her. Remember what happened last time?"

We'd been at sea for over two months, but Ivory had taken to sleeping in Jack's cabin for about a month now. When she had first started doing this, it had been an annoyance for Jack, as he hated waking up and having a cat lying beside draped over his head or legs. He'd put up with it for a week, thinking that Ivory would eventually stop and leave him be. When that didn't happen, Jack had very politely asked me to put a leash on her at night, just so I could keep my door open to let night air flow into my room without Ivory escaping. I had reluctantly agreed, and soon wished that I hadn't; that first night, my poor kitten began yowling her little lungs out, begging to be freed and waking the entire ship. When she didn't quiet down, the whole crew threatened to do something drastic if it didn't stop. Needless to say, we never tried that trick again, and merely let Ivory have her way.

Jack had the decency to wince. "Aye, that I do," he said, rubbing his ears at the memory. "Still, over a month of this nonsense is beginning to drive me mad! And there's cat fur on my pillows!"

I sighed. "I'm sorry, Jack. I've tried to train it out of her, but she just won't do what I say!" A small amused smile began to form on my face.

"And just what is so funny, Miss Rose?" Jack retorted, though he looked genuinely curious.

"Oh, I was just thinking that Ivory does this because she likes you," I said innocently as I scratched under Ivory's chin, causing her to purr. "You know, she doesn't ever go into the crew's quarters, though she does like taking naps on Gibbs whenever he falls asleep on deck." I risked a look up through my lashes, only to see Jack's chest puff out in pride.

"That just shows how good her taste in men is, luv," he said, his infamous smirk now on his face as he leaned his left arm against the doorframe. "And do you like me, too?"

'Uh, oh,' I thought, trying to hide my blush. I needed to think of a good response, fast. Preferably one that wasn't flirtatious and would cause Jack's ego to swell up even more than it already was!

"Of course I do," I replied, still not looking him directly in the eye or face. "After all, I wouldn't sail with someone I didn't like and respect!"

Jack nodded. "Absolutely," he said, reaching out and draping an arm around my neck before escorting me away from his cabin.

The two of us headed towards the ladder that led down below to the lower decks. I knew that he wanted me in the galley to begin breakfast (I could hear his stomach rumbling from beside me), but I didn't understand why he was escorting me there. He could have easily gone back to his cabin for another hour's worth of sleep and left the cooking to me.

"Jack, you can go back to bed, if you like," I said, smiling up at him as we reached the galley's door. "I'll fix breakfast then come clean up any shed fur that Ivory left behind in your cabin."

Jack shook his head. "I was only joking about that, luv," he said, smiling. "Well, actually, there really is fur on my pillowcases, but it's nothing I can't clean for myself." He gently patted my shoulder, where his arm was still draped. "And if I fall asleep now, there's no way I'll be up in time to enjoy one of your fresh breakfasts!" He turned and glared towards the crew's quarters. "Especially not when those dogs eat everything in sight before I can get to it!"

I laughed as Ivory 'mewed' to be let down, struggling against my hold. I gently set her down and she immediately went to work hunting for any mice or rats that might be hiding. She was an amazingly good hunter, despite being so young and small. I heard the men swearing that the rats on the ship were bigger than her, but she never let that stop her. Over the past month or so, Ivory managed one catch a day, slowly eliminating the rodent population onboard the ship. Presently, the crew was extremely happy that the ropes, canvases, food, and clothing weren't getting holes and things chewed into them.

Jack gave my shoulder one last squeeze before heading out. "See you soon, luv."

I shook my head as I watched him leave. 'Well, he certainly was in a good mood!' I thought as I placed a large pan on the stove. 'I wonder what brought that on…'

Rubbing his hands together, Jack eagerly whipped out his compass and walked towards the helm. Breakfast had just finished, and he had not only managed to get a spot next to Rose, but he also was able to get a decent portion of food before the crew devoured it all!

'A good day indeed,' he thought with a smile as he steered the ship towards his target. 'A good night's sleep, a lovely lady to greet me in the morning, and a good breakfast while seated beside said lady. It certainly doesn't get much better than that.'

Normally, Jack counted each day as a blessing, but since Ivory started sleeping in his cabin, each morning just became something he was unusually eager for…primarily because it involved the kitten's mistress to come up and see him. Seeing Rose's shy smile in the morning made all of that damned cat fur worth putting up with; it also made the grueling task of cleaning his pillowcases a perfectly good price to pay for such a pretty sight in the morning.

'Especially this morning,' Jack thought happily. 'It's time to do some looting!'

Just as he thought that, a spot began to appear on the horizon, steadily growing bigger as the Black Pearl approached it. Jack couldn't hold back a broad grin at the sight.

"All hands on deck!" I heard Jack roar from the helm. "Prepare for battle!"

I couldn't hold back a gasp as I raced out of my cabin, where I had been combing Ivory's fur. I climbed up the steps and onto the top deck, glancing at the sea. There was the small speck of a ship on the horizon, steadily growing larger as we headed towards it. Air caught in my throat as I stopped breathing.

Battle? We were going into battle? Oh, God, I wasn't ready to fight! I have no experience in fighting and looting other ships! What if something happened, or what if something went wrong? My breathing began to be labored as I kept staring out to sea and the men began rushing about, carrying out orders that Jack was shouting from the helm.

Taking a deep breath, I calmed myself down. 'Jack and Gibbs have faith in you,' I reminded myself. 'You can do this. After all of those training sessions with the two best fighters on the Pearl, you should be able to hold your own against Navy soldiers, other pirates, or merchants defending their cargo. Just do whatever you can to survive today and keep it close for next time.'

Another deep breath rushed into my lungs as turned and headed back into my quarters to fetch my weaponry. My sword was on my left hip, my pistol on my right, and an extremely sharp knife was hidden underneath my pistol, out of sight of any attackers. Into my boots I tucked one knife into each one, just in case. To keep my vision clear, I tied my hair back with a bandana Padma had included in my new wardrobe, the material so new that it was stiff and easier to keep on top my head.

"Well, here we go," I said, glancing down at the little kitten that was currently sitting on my bed.

Ivory meowed at me, and it was then that I realized that she wasn't as small as she was before. She had grown to at least twice her previous size, and her coat was sleek and beautifully shiny. My beloved pet was very much a living jewel, with her emerald eyes and silver fur, the black spots on her coat much like pieces of black onyx. I smiled as I reached down and scratched her head, causing her to purr.

"I'm sorry, lovely, but I'm going to have to lock you in here during the fighting," I cooed to her. "I promise to bring you back something good, maybe a collar or a tasty treat for dinner, savvy?"

Ivory merely purred her contentment as I leaned down and kissed her head before heading out, shutting the door behind me as I made my way up to the top deck.

"You alright?" asked a voice from beside me as its owner joined me at the starboard railing.

I turned my head to face a concerned Mr. Gibbs. "Just nervous," I softly replied, hoping that the rest of the crew wouldn't hear. "I was lucky we'd had no real battles since I joined, but now…now I actually have to try and survive this."

"Aye, that's true," he said, clamping a gentle hand onto my shoulder. "Just try and keep your mind focused on surviving, nothing more. You can think about your share of the loot afterwards, understand?"

I nodded my head and put a hand on my cutlass as our target loomed closer. "Well…here goes nothing," I said, taking a deep breath.

"Don't you worry, lass," Gibbs said, smiling down at me. "I'll try and keep an eye on ye, as well the rest of the crew."

For some reason, that made me feel better, and I couldn't help but smile back at him. "Thank you, Gibbs. That means a lot to me."

He merely patted my shoulder again as the Pearl approached what appeared to be a merchant vessel.

A roaring 'boom' filled the air as the Pearl opened fire on the other ship, appropriately named Silken Treasure. I could smell burning gunpowder mix with the salty air, and a knot formed in my stomach; the battle had begun.

I nervously chewed on my lower lip as we pulled along the port side of our target, which was now incapacitated due to the numerous holes in its hull. The crew of the Treasure was scurrying about like mad, trying to save the ship and prevent any more holes from being blown in it. As we halted beside it, I noticed a white flag being pulled up, the men of the ship slowing to a still as they watched us approach.

My head turned towards Jack, who was looking remarkably smug. I shook my head in disbelief at Jack's easy acceptance of the surrender of the opposite crew. Gibbs, who had joined our captain at the helm when the first shot had been fired, stepped down and approached me, the two of us once more standing on the starboard side of the Pearl. He stopped at my side and leaned over just the slightest bit, as though he wished to subtly speak with me.

"No worries, lass," he whispered, his lips barely moving. "Jack's no fool; he knows that there's the chance that the other ship's captain is playing with us by raising the white flag, and he won't fall for it." Gibbs glanced at the floor, where the cannons were currently being positioned. "We're fully prepared to open fire and sink her, being that she's just barely half the size of the Pearl."

"Size isn't everything," I muttered, glaring between the Treasure and Jack, who was now making his way down to the deck of the Pearl. "I just hope that he knows what he's doing!"

"Well, he's got to, being as he's a damn fine captain and pirate," muttered Gibbs, who watched Jack sashay over to face the other ship.

"Surrender all of your goods!" Jack demanded. "Do as we say, and we won't open fire!"

From the deck of the Treasure emerged a tall man in fine clothing, the air about him speaking of his authority as the ship's captain. Even from the distance that separated the two crews and captains, I could see that he was a firm, emotionless man, a far cry from the pirate who had his ship at his mercy.

"If you were to open fire, you would get nothing," the other captain called back, his voice arrogant and confident.

"Too true," Jack replied with a broad grin. "But then, you and your men would have to evacuate and we would be free to salvage what we could and gain quite a bit more than you would." He opened his arms. "And I doubt that there's a spit of land anywhere close by…rowing around in circles in the Caribbean doesn't sound like much fun, mate."

I could see the other man tense, and could swear that he was sneering at us. "Then I suppose we have no choice." He turned around and nodded to someone on the deck of his ship.

Meanwhile, my eyes had been darting around the Treasure's deck, my instincts telling me that something was amiss. The captain had given up far too quickly for a man of his confidence and bearing, so why had he so easily given us his ship and cargo? From my days of meeting my father's fellow merchants, I knew that most of them hired hardened men who would do their damned best to deliver the goods to where they were being sent; it did them no good to send a weak-willed man who would surrender at the first sign of danger! I had to do something.

Trying to move closer to Jack without attracting attention, I managed to slide my way over to him by walking behind the much taller men currently lined up at the starboard railing. There was a gap between the last crewman and Jack, so I slid into place there, my eyes still focused on the other ship. I carefully nudged my elbow into Jack's side to get his attention.

"Jack, this is too easy," I whispered, turning my head slightly so that my voice would reach his ears. He glanced at me, silently asking me to explain. "I know merchant captains and how they act, and this one has given up far too quickly."

From beside me, I could hear Jack chuckle. "Maybe it's the fact that we've got twice the size and firepower than they do that has made them surrender?"

Before I could reply, I spotted something move on the Treasure's deck, just out of the corner of my right eye. I turned my head slightly to see it better. There, near the helm of the ship, in the corner where the steps lead down to the deck, stood a man…with a rifle in his hands!

'Oh, God,' I thought, so shocked that felt my body freeze. 'He's going to shoot…but who is he going to shoot?'

I looked around, trying to think things through logically while doing so in a hurry. The rifle was pointed in my direction, but for some reason, he didn't seem interested in shooting at me. That left only two targets: the man to my left, and to my right…Jack! He was going to kill the main figure of the Pearl!

Not stopping to think, I moved quickly.

Time seemed to move in slow motion for Jack. One instant he's victorious in achieving his goal, his target, ripe for looting, had surrendered, and Rose was standing beside him, looking wonderful in her fighting gear. The next thing he knew, Rose was giving him a warning, and just after that, a shot rang out across the water.

He blinked for just an instant, and when his eyes opened, Rose was shoving him aside, her body taking up the space where his had once been. Recovering his footing, Jack whirled around, not fully comprehending the sight of blood droplets both hovering in the air and moving to land on the Pearl's dark wooden deck. Speechless, Jack watched as time resumed and Rose landed hard on the floor, her eyes rolling up into the back of her head, unconscious, a bullet wound in her shoulder spurting blood.

Jack's vision took a red tinge as he fully absorbed the situation. He slowly turned his head to glare at the ship he had planned to loot and decided to do something else with it entirely.

"Open fire! Full cannons!" he roared, glaring at the enemy.

Thankfully, the men didn't question him, but merely followed his orders. Those that were on the top deck with the few cannons placed there howled their anger, screaming war cries of vengeance as they unleashed hell on those that had tried to kill their captain and had instead hurt their female crewmember.

"Gibbs, take charge," Jack yelled to his first mate. "I want that ship at the bottom of the sea!"

"Aye, sir!" said Gibbs, his voice as full of rage as the rest of the crew's.

Gritting his teeth, Jack bent over and swept Rose into his arms, hurriedly carrying her to the safety of his cabin so he could help her.

Within moments, the Silken Treasure was sunk, and what remained of its crew was left floating in the ocean as punishment for what they had done. The crew of the Black Pearl had little mercy for them, even when the captain had begged them to at least tow them to land. Given that it was said-captain's fault that Rose lay fighting for her life in Captain Sparrow's cabin, they ignored him. Instead, the Pearl sailed into the sunset, its crew hoping for Rose to recover.

AN: Sorry, sorry, sorry! Please don't hate me! I swear things will get better, I promise! Review!