"It's ale love, jus' drink it fast as you can…" Jack said, setting the unappealing beverage in front of Ella later that night. They'd pulled into Tortuga for some supplies. She sat between Sea Sponge and Will Turner at a far table in the rowdy tavern. Elizabeth had gone to lie down for a while feeling a bit under the weather. Staring into the mug she made a face at the amused captain across from her and wrapped her small hand around the handle.

"I'll try." She said, looking at the older captain beside her. He clicked his bottle with her mug as she hesitantly lifted it, taking a tentative sip. Instantly, she spat it back out sending all of the men into a fit of laughter.

"No no love…you just drink fast so you don't taste as much…" Jack said, winking at her. She blushed, embarrassed but began to gulp the bitter liquid. She only got about halfway through the glass before setting it heavily down and wincing as she tried to swallow.

"That, dear Captain, is hideous." She said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Sea Sponge laughed at her.

"Ah…we've turned you into a regular heathen now, 'aven't we?" She giggled, the alcohol seemingly getting to her head. Will set his empty glass down and scratched his head.

"Well, I'd better get to Elizabeth…goodness knows she's cranky if I leave her too long." Jack rolled his eyes and muttered.

"Eunuch…"

Will chuckled, picking up his things.

"Eunuch? Well, I must be pretty damned good since I got her pregnant, mate." He said, putting his hat on and turning to leave.

"Touché." Jack said as Gibbs walked in.

"Cap'n…it's ah…beginnin' ta rain…what are yer orders?" Jack looked up at him blankly. Gibbs gulped nervously.

"It's just ah…ya see…they want ta stay the night in Tortuga so's they don' have ta work in the rain…cause they might…" He stopped, looking from the Captain to his father to the girl.

"Might what?" Jack asked, raising his eyebrow. Gibbs cleared his throat.

"They might…mess up their clothes…and get dirty again…" Ella clapped a hand over her mouth and suppressed a giggle.

"What 'ave you done to my men, missy?" Jack asked and she shrugged.

"I've nothing nothing other than show them how to behave like gentlemen and realize the importance of self hygiene…" She hiccupped then, interrupting herself and began to laugh. Jack half grinned at her before looking back up at Gibbs.

"Fine then…we'll leave first thing in the morning." Grant got up as well and slapped Gibbs on the back before the man walked out of the tavern. Ella smiled crookedly taking another drink of the ale.

"It does taste better now…" She giggled again. "I like this music…all we ever hear at balls are dreadful boring waltzes. This makes me want to dance!"

Taking both of his hands, she began to move around him as he shot his father a glance. The old man simply laughed and put his hat on.

"Well then...time to get back to the ship, eh?" Jack said uncomfortably, guiding the girl by the shoulders. Grabbing the rum, Grant walked ahead into the pouring rain as Jack pulled Ella by the wrist through the downpour and onto the docked ship.

"Come love, let's get you inside and dry..." Jack said, pushing Ella gently toward the bedchambers, but she stayed on the empty deck looking up into the rain.

"Have you ever just stood in the rain and enjoyed the feeling of complete freedom?" She asked leaning against the side. Jack eyed his rum.

"Have you ever considered hospitalization love?" He asked, tilting his head to the side as thunder rumbled in the distance. She laughed.

"No really...I've never stood in the rain...or enjoyed the sun...young women simply stay indoors unless they are going somewhere, in which they then are covered by hats and gloves. It's nice to just be myself..." Jack watched as she twirled in the rain, completely dumbfounded as to what he should do. He'd been with dozens of women and yet it was a complete and utter mystery to him as to how to handle this girl.

"Come here..." She whispered, waving him over to her. Hesitantly, he strode to her side where she was looking over the side of the ship.

"Something you need pet?" He asked and she shook her head.

"Not really, well...there is something I would like though Captain..."

"Being?"

"I want you to dance with me in the rain." She said, facing him now and holding her hand out to him.

"I'd rather not love...if it's all the same..." He said, backing away. Suddenly, he felt the sudden need to get away from her, like he was being sucked under and suffocating as he nearly had inside that beast.

"Jack, please..."

It was the first time she had ever said his name and he couldn't breathe. The bottle of rum fell to his feet and shattered.

"Er...that wasn't good..." He said, looking at his feet and sighing. "Fine..." He said and then grinned, forgetting his discomfort. "I knew you couldn't resist me, Miss Norrington." She giggled, the alcohol still making her giddy.

"Ella..." She said softly. "Ella."

"You do realize that there is no music to accompany us...?" He asked and she nodded, setting herself into his arms.

"I shall sing..." She said and hiccupped, laughing. As she began to move, she sang.

"Come all you gallant seamen bold,
All you that march to drum,
Let's go and look for Captain Ward,
Far on the sea he roams.
He is the biggest robber
That ever you did hear,
there's not been such a robber found
For above this hundred year."

She stopped after a moment, laughing and trying to catch her breath.

"Captain...remember when you kissed me?" He looked away nonchalantly.

"Vaguely, yes..." He replied. It was a lie. It had been replaying through his mind since he'd kidnaped her right from under Beckett's grip. Pouting, she wiped the hair that clung to her face from the rain.

"Would you ever want to try it again...?" She asked suddenly as the rain began to slow. He raised an eyebrow.

"You wouldn't want me, love...we're too different and you're too drunk." He said, avoiding the question.

"You didn't answer." She said quietly...sobriety coming back into her eyes. The softness of her voice returning.

When he didn't respond, she looked at him.

"You're afraid of me aren't you Captain?" She asked seriously and he nearly laughed.

"Why should I fear you, sweet?" He asked, sadly eyeing the remains of his shattered bottle of rum.

"You're afraid your compass was right. You're afraid to fall in love with me..."

"Am not!" He said, raising his eyebrows in disgust at his arguing with her. She went on.

"...Because, you're afraid you can't give anyone a future...or a decent life since Beckett practically stole yours. That's why you've never married and you use women and leave them. You don't want to love anyone because you're afraid that they will be dragged into this mess with the East India Trading Company with you, and that's the truth Captain, isn't it?"

He stared at her with his head cocked to the side and his arms folded, pondering what he should say in response, but he drew a blank. What could he say? With a nervous chuckle, he shrugged.

"Believe what you will, love, but I don't..."

"You're going to have to face Cutler Beckett sooner or later...you can't keep running from these demons because they will always come back to haunt you. Jack, if they catch you, he will have you hanged and you will leave me with incredible guilt because I am the only person in this world that knows the truth about you...and that, dear Captain, is why you are afraid of me." With a glint of mischief in her eyes, she grinned and whispered. "Coward." That did it. In a moment, he had pulled her against his chest and his lips had come down on hers.

After a moment, he pulled back, quite satisfied with himself and crossed his arms and upon seeing her with her eyes still clothes, her lips still parted, incredible guilt filled him. This had been wrong...and he was wrong for even falling into the trap. Life had been so simple when he'd lived in Port Royal with his mother as a young man. At twenty, he'd been one of the youngest men in the navy to have been promoted to Captain, which was why the title was so important to him. Even now. Ella's eyes opened and she looked confused.

"Well, is that all?" She asked and he nodded.

"That's all I am afraid. I am a coward..." He said and walked her quietly into the bedchamber before laying a thin blanket on the floor near the fireplace after grabbing another bottle of rum and setting his sights on becoming drunk again.

Ella sank into the bed, fully ashamed of her behavior. She'd acted like a brazen wonton hussy tonight and it sickened her. What did she feel for Jack? She hadn't a clue. There was one thing she was certain of, however. She could not seem to control her behavior around him and he could not seem to control his behavior, well...ever! Her gaze drifted to where he sat going through his things near the fire and she suddenly felt bad for taking his bed even though he had kidnaped her.

"Jack." She said softly as he turned to look at her with his compass still open. Throwing him a pillow, she said. "Well you can't very well sleep with your head on that hard floor, now can you?" He half grinned.

"Clearly you've never been to jail, love. G'night."

"Goodnight Captain." She replied, turning out her lamp.

"Any word my Lord?" Norrington asked when the man visited his home that night. Cutler Beckett shook his head.

"They are searching for the Pearl, and we suspect it should not be long before the ship is spotted. I have the strong suspicion that my fiancée is on that ship and I have every intention of watching Jack Sparrow hang from the gallows upon her return."He said with a smile. Charlotte Norrington sat quietly to the side and could not help thinking he looked too satisfied with this idea.

"What if he is not responsible?" James asked, scratching his chin.

"Either way...I will have Eleanore back Admiral...and I will have Sparrow killed." He lost the smile on his face as the spot on his neck, where Jack had left his mark tingled as he remembered the day he'd been hit by his own brand.

"Sit down John...I'm sure it's been a long trip for you..." Beckett said as he rose from his seat behind his desk.

"Er...thanks." The young man said, toying with the buttons on his military coat.

"I heard that we seemed to have lost our cargo...is this true John?" The young man looked at his hands.

"Well...yes...but..."

"And how did you manage to lose the savages, John?" Beckett interrupted. The young man stood up angrily.

"Why are they savages? They were just trying to live their lives and I couldn't bring myself to shove them into those shelves below deck...I will follow any order you give, but people are not cargo Beckett!" He said and Cutler glared at him.

"It's Lord Beckett now...remember? The queen herself gave me that title..." He sighed, "Look John, I'm willing to give you another chance...and maybe if you play your cards right, I can have you promoted to Commodore..."

"I don't want your bloody promotions...I will not treat people like common goods..."

Beckett moved swiftly to the fireplace with his back to the young man.

"I don't want to have to do this John, really I don't but if you don't comply, I shall be forced to take action." He said softly and the young Captain narrowed his eyes.

"There is nothing you can do to change my mind." He said and he heard Beckett chuckle.

"Then I am afraid I have no choice...guards..." Two men moved to the young man's side and held him by the arms as he struggled.

"Beckett, you let go of me...I did nothing wrong...you are the monster!" One of the guards pulled John's sleeve back, exposing his forearm and held him steady as Beckett turned around wielding a pirate brand.

"Captain John Sparrow...from this day forward as a result of your betrayal to me and the East India Trading Company, you shall be known as a pirate and sentenced to death for your crimes." Without hesitation, Cutler pressed the hot brand onto the young man's arm as he screamed in pain. With one swift movement, he used his elbow to hit one of the guards' rib cage, knocking him over before kicking the other in the stomach and pulling out his sword as did Beckett and began to fight his new enemy.

"You disappoint me John, I thought you and I were alike...I thought I could trust you." Beckett said and John glared at him, pinning him against the wall and picking up the brand with his free hand before leaning in close to Beckett.

"You and I have nothing in common and I would rather spend ten thousand lifetimes as a pirate than to serve you and your damned company...and I will fight you until the day I die!"

"A rather fast approaching event, if I have anything to do with it." Beckett interjected as they began to fight again. As John went for Beckett with his sword the man swivelled out of his way but had forgotten that the young man still had the brand and the sudden sting of his burning flesh made him scream before turning back to try and fight, but John proved too quick with his young agility.

"You will always remember this as the day you almost defeated Captain John Sparrow."

Leaving the man to fall to the floor holding his neck, he walked out, closing the door behind him and pulling down the sleeve of his coat. He frowned, and threw the now useless garment off of him and noticed one of Beckett's charcoal coat on the hanger and pulled it off, wrapping it around himself. He loosened his black hair from the ties and let it hang at his shoulders before wrapping it in his own red scarf. Patting the pocket of his pants, he realized he still had some of the gold from one of his trades and grinned as he neared the docks. Eyeing a work ship, he strode to the man taking men onto the crew.

"I need to get to Tortuga." He told the man, who simply nodded.

"I'll need your name sir." Thinking a moment, John smiled.

"Jack. Jack Sparrow."