/I don't own anything you recognize in this story. /

Chapter Twenty One

Like in all the holding pens that I had ever been in, this one was cold, dank and way too small for my liking. I couldn't have hoped for more. Turning around as I was shoved mercilessly into my new home, I watched as Pintel slammed the door shut and locked the door, a satisfied spreading across his ugly face.

"You always seemed to get yourself into trouble, don't you, Poppy?" Pintel asked.

I glared angrily at him. "Not as much as you'll be in once I get back to my father."

Ragetti, who was leaning against the steel cage, laughed heartily. "Do you honestly think that your father can help you out of the mess that you're in right now?"

"My father is the governor of Port Royal," I said through clenched teeth. "He can do anything as long as it's in the benefit of his people."

"And what do you think the people benefit from him, Poppy?" Pintel asked. "Do you really think your father has everyone's benefit at heart when he let the notorious Captain Jack Sparrow have a day's head start, causing threat to the people of Port Royal?"

"Jack Sparrow is a good man," I growled. "He would never heart a man unless for a good reason."

"Reasons got nothing ter do with it," Pintel exclaimed. "Does he ever give you a reason to trust him?"

"Yes he has," I said instantly. "He might seem to go against a person sometimes to gain the trust of another temporarily, but he always does it for the people he's most loyal to."

Pintel put his ugly face as close to mine as he could. "And who is he most loyal to, Elizabeth Turner? How can you trust a man's word?"

I said nothing, but I could see his point. But deep down, I knew that Pintel and Ragetti were lying. They wanted me to turn against the people that I trusted and kept close to my heart. But I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of an argument.

Pintel pulled away and looked at me with disgust. He must have seen my apprehension in my face.

"You will find out some day, Miss Turner, that trust can be broken even when you think you've got the person figured out," Pintel growled.

Without another word, Pintel and Ragetti walked out of the cave, leaving me to contemplate my thoughts. It seemed I was in there for less than five minutes when a hand clamped down tightly over my mouth. Panicking, I struggled for several moments before stopping with exhaustion.

"I knew you would warm up to me," the voice said behind me.

Turning my head slightly, I could see a head full of dreads, a bandanna tied on his head and warm, friendly eyes. It could be only one person.

"Jack!" I exclaimed when he finally let go of me. "What are you doing here?"

"Admiring the general vicinity, didn't you know?" Jack asked sarcastically. "I'm here for the same reasons as you are, love."

"Well, what are we going to do about it?" I exclaimed. "We just can't sit here and wait for our fates."

Jack smiled broadly. "No, we can't, and I've got the answer."

"And what are you going to do, Captain Jack Sparrow?" I asked, "Magic us out of here?"

"No, but look here, savvy?" Jack twirled his fingers up at towards his face. I gasped when I saw a glint of silver in the light. It was a key.

"How did you get that?" I asked.

"That's only between me and myself, love," Jack exclaimed.

Without saying another word, he went over to the door, and unlocked it. The door swung open with a gentle creak.

I shook my head. "You're mad, Jack, but I have to say that sometimes you have the brains of a genius."

Jack nodded. "I don't know about you, but I really want to get as far away from here as possible. The ship is waiting."

"What about Will—and Bootstrap?" I asked.

"Just follow me," Jack stated and soon disappeared outside into the darkness. I followed behind him just as silently. All I wanted was to see Will again.

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Author's Note: Chapter Twenty One for everybody, I hope it's to everybody's liking. I know it's a little short and the ending kind of sucks, but I couldn't think of how else to end it. Thanks for everybody's reviews for the last chapter and thanks for everybody's patience, I know how hard it is to wait for an author to update. I'm trying as hard as I can, I promise.

In the meantime, I hope you like the story so far and thanks again for the reviews. I'll update as soon as I can. Happy reading!