AN: Thanks again for reading everyone. Just remember to keep reviewing! They help a lot!

And now I present: Chapter 5!

The next day the sun was bright and the air fresh. I about danced down the stairs to breakfast, and jumped for glee when I saw Richard arriving from the window. Elizabeth was just as excited; after hearing me talk about Ella, she wanted to meet her just as much. I hurried the girls out to the garden to play and scurried into the room where Richard waited with Elizabeth. But I stopped short when I saw the expression on his face. He was standing, holding his hat, and looked like he had been crying.

"Winnie," he greeted in a raspy voice.

"What happened?" I asked slowly, fearing the answer.

Richard breathed deeply. "I can't stay for long. The Commodore is leaving within the hour. We have just received news from Savanna. Pirates have attacked, left the town in shambles."

"What was the name of the ship?" interjected Elizabeth worriedly.

Richard furrowed his brow, and wiped away a spare tear. "The, the Black Pearl I believe."

"No…" exclaimed Elizabeth. "Jack would never do that…he's not that cruel…"

Jack Sparrow. I remembered Elizabeth talking about him in her stories, and frowned. She had made him out to be a halfway decent man, not someone who would destroy a town.

"It wasn't him, it was another," corrected Richard. "A Captain Barbossa, I believe. The soldiers believed he was just ransacking the town…but there was a kidnapping."

"Ella," I breathed. I knew it at once, from the way Richard looked at me. A wave of terror flew thru me and I sat down, shaking and trembling. But as soon as it had come, it left and was replaced with an unknown sense of determination. I had sat around too long, moping and grieving. I was done with that; now was time for action. I was no longer a scared eighteen year old being chased by shady men, I was a grown women who wasn't going to have someone holding my hand and leading me like a child. I was going to stop watching from the side-lines and join in the game of life. I was going to stop dreaming. "I need to save her."

"And that is where the Commodore is headed off to," said Richard. "Don't worry, we'll be back in no time, with Ella."

"If you are so confident in the Commodore, why were you crying?" I asked.

He blushed, a strong crimson creeping to his neck. I looked into his eyes, and suddenly realized I was not the only one who cared what happened to Ella. I smiled slightly, though somwwhat peeved at the realization that I wasn't going to be going. "Best of luck then."

He returned in the expression slightly and bowed. "Thank you. I'll be back, along with Ella. I promise."

"Wait!" I called. Something had dawned on me, something that didn't make sense. "What in the world would the pirates want with Ella?"

Richard frowned, as if to decide whether or not to tell us. "I think it might…listen, don't repeat this to anyone." Elizabeth and I looked at each other and nodded. "When we rescued Ella, and after she explained her…situation to us, the Commodore asked a favor of her. He had a key, and he asked for her to keep it safe for him. Of course she agreed."

"And you think that is what the pirates want?" said Elizabeth. "What does the key go to?"

Richard shrugged. "I don't know. Only the Commodore knows that answer, and he hasn't shared that with anyone. I need to leave. Good day."

I grabbed him before he left and hugged him. "Be safe." He smiled weakly and left out the door. I felt like I was watching a brother go to his death. Yes, I had only met him yesterday night, but there was something trustworthy and welcoming about him, and I was genuinely worried that he might die in his attempt to rescue Ella.

I turned to Elizabeth, who, to my utter astonishment, was grinning. "What in the world are you smiling about?"

"You want to go save her yourself, don't you?" After a moment, I nodded, then slumped back into the library. "I know how you feel."

"It's just…I have this feeling that if I'm not there, something is going to go dreadfully wrong, and I won't be there to fix it."

"You can't fix everything. Some things are just out of your control."

I looked at Elizabeth, and sighed, feeling very defeated. "I don't like things to be like that."

"Listen, the Commodore is a very capable man. I have met Barbossa before, you remember, from the stories I've told you. He's not invincible."

I stood up and started pacing. "I don't think I trust him entirely, the Commodore I mean. Yes, I believe he's capable, but…I don't know. I wish I knew what that key went to, and why he gave it to Ella, and why he hasn't mentioned it to anyone. If I had something that important, I would never keep it far away from me. The whole situation looks very shady to me." This was true the pocket-watch and key were always on my person, usually in my chemise.

"Whatever it is, Barbossa obviously wants it as well," mused Elizabeth. "It must be some sort of treasure then. Family treasure, I suppose."

"Possibly. That still doesn't explain why he gave the key to Ella." Elizabeth nodded in agreement and stood up.

"Whatever the case, we really aren't concerned in it. You just want Ella safe, right?" I nodded, but the treasure was making me terribly curious. "The Commodore will make sure she is. You can't ask for much more than that. The past few months of my life have taught me something: sometimes it's better to sit back and let others figure out the problems. You can lose too many precious things if you're there, trying to fix them yourself."

I looked down, knowing who she was talking about. "I've sat back my whole life. I don't want to lose Ella, only to think that I could have done something to save her." We stood in silence for a moment before I added: "You could have really lost him, you know. Will might have actually died if you hadn't been there. You never know." Elizabeth jerked her head up at me. I couldn't tell what she was thinking, but sadness was on the rim of her eyes, threatening to pour out.

"Maybe you're right." She looked at me for a moment. "You don't like sitting back, watching other's do the work."

"Why do you think that?"

"It's not in your nature. Yet you say you've done it your whole life. Why?"

"I don't know," I whispered. "I suppose I was scared."

"Of what?"

I bit my lip, thinking it over. "I was afraid of messing up and looking like a fool. But I'm not afraid anymore." Elizabeth grinned slightly and put a hand on my shoulder.

"You're no fool."