AN: Sorry for the slight delay, this was a very frustrating chapter to write...and I still don't like it much...however, I have very minimal tolerence for editing, and if I had to look at this chapter one more time, I think my head would have exploded. Hopefully you all will enjoy it better than I did writing it.

It was nighttime now, and I had been laying in my bed, more in a dozing state than sleeping, like when you know your awake, but at the same time, are dreaming. At the moment, I was dreaming about the storm again; it hadn't happened in years, yet my conversation with Elizabeth seemed to have re-freshen my memory. However, there was something different. Ella and I weren't in the ocean yet, we were running from those nine men.

"Where are we going?" asked Ella.

"I don't know," I said. "But we need to get to a telephone."

Ella glanced behind us. "They're following. I think we need to just run."

"You're right," I agreed, but I froze to the spot, seeing the men. "We're trapped."

Simultaneously, all nine men drew pistols and pointed them at us. I gripped harder to Ella's arm. I glanced down at her, her face masking my fear. Her eyes traveled down toward my shirt.

"Finn, something is…"

BOOM!

I awoke with a start at the sudden noise, annoyed that the sound had interrupted my dream. At the same time I sat up, my door was flung open, only to reveal Jack Sparrow. "What do you think--" I began.

BOOM!

I screamed, realizing what the noise was. Cannon fire. Looking out the window, I saw houses on fire and torches running around frantically. I stifled another scream at the sight.

"Winnie, come here!" commanded Jack. "You need to leave with me. Now."

I ran over to him, and he took my arm and began leading me thru the hallways of the house. "Where is Elizabeth and girls?" I asked frantically between breaths.

"With the butler and already gone. She sent me to get you when she realized you weren't awake. Said you slept like the dead, but I didn't think you could sleep thru cannon fire. Must you be so slow?"

"Sorry." I clutched his arm as we neared the entrance hall. "Jack, I'm scared."

"Don't worry, luv. Ol' Jack isn't going to let anything happen to you. Trust me." He turned, smiling, and winked at me. "I don't let valuable items slip through my hands."

I blushed hard, but something in the way he said it made me think that there was really a double meaning behind it…I didn't have much time to think it over though. We reached the front door only to find someone trying to force it open. Jack swung me back around and dragged me to the parlor. He pulled me to the window and peeked out, looking for something. I glanced at the corner nearby only to see two empty rum bottles. Now how did those get there?

Jack swore loudly, grabbing my attention. "What's wrong?"

"The house is practically surrounded. We aren't going to get out of here without a struggle." He took me by the shoulders and lowered his face to mine. "Where are the servants' quarters?"

"Why?"

"Now is no time for 'whys.' Just tell me, luv."

I closed my eyes tight, trying hard to remember. "The door is under the stairs, hidden by that large hanging Persian rug."

Jack took my hand and pulled me along behind him till we came to the grand stair case. The main door was almost open, and I could see hands groping for a handle, the sight of which threatened to allow another scream. But before it could escape my lips, he shoved me roughly behind the rug and into the hallway that led to the servants' quarters. "Jack, there's another door by the kitchen that's out in the open. What happens if the pirates find that?" He kept walking until we reached one of the maid's room. "Jack, did you hear me?"

"As odd as it may seem, I'm actually thinking. No need to be impatient." He turned to me and looked me over. "You're too tall to hide under the beds, and there isn't going to be enough room for both of us in the closet…" his eyes wandered above my head to the ceiling. I looked up as well: it was a trap door.

"Is that an attic?" I wondered aloud.

"Let's hope so," murmured Jack. He reached above my head and opened the door, and it wasn't until then that I realized that he was in fact a very tall man, maybe six foot. Okay, so very tall for this time period.

The door fell open and he grabbed the edge and heaved himself up, leaving me panicked and on the ground. "Jack, I'm not that strong! I can't lift myself up!"

He lowered his arms. "Grab on then." I took his arms and felt my feet leave the ground. I struggled into the attic just as voices were heard coming from the hallway. Jack latched the door and we laid there, breathing hard.

At the moment, my torso was across his chest. I felt around me, only to hit wall. "Jack, you mind sitting up? There's not a lot of room in here."

He turned his head to me, and with a glimmer in his eyes, said, "No."

I opened my mouth to argue, but he clamped his hand firmly over it and pressed himself against me. That's when I heard the voices, which were now right below us.

"This is the maid's room. No one is here," growled a low voice.

"Must be the wrong house then. What did the captain say we was looking for?" answered a higher, scratchy voice.

"Tall girl, dark brown hair, blue eyes, lives on the big house on top of the hill."

There was silence for a moment before the higher voice asked, "You don't suppose he meant the gov's daughter? Their house is on top of the hill too. Heard she was rather tall for a women…"

"Captain would have said so if that was the case," corrected the low voice.

"Well, there sure ain't any girls around here…"

"This is the Swann residence," interrupted another voice. "Only some whore lives here, an Elizabeth Swann. I got someone to talk for me. She ain't the one we want. This is the wrong house."

I tensed in anger at how the man referred to Elizabeth, but kept still and silent.

The other two men were quiet as well. "Well, what are we waiting for?" one of them finally said. "Let's catch us the gov's little baby." They left cackling and cracking horrid jokes on the way out. The two of us sat there for a while longer, just breathing. I removed his hand and shifted slightly…only to feel myself falling. I landed before I could scream, but a shooting pain went up my butt as I hit the floor.

I looked up to see the trap door swing, and Jack eight feet above me, laughing uproariously. "What the heck happened?" I asked faintly. My butt was now throbbing tremendously, and a dull pain was creeping all over my lower body. I groaned loudly. My pain tolerance was not very high.

"It seems to be that the latch did not quite latch all the way," responded Jack as he jumped down lightly, still grinning like a Cheshire cat. "I suppose it's a good thing I refused to adjust myself earlier, hm?"

I rolled my eyes and held my hand out. "Now, be a gentleman, and please help me up."

"I am no gentleman."

"Yes you are. You are a gentleman of fortune."

He held up his hand as if to say something, but instead dropped it down. "Touché."

"Please?" I asked again.

Chuckling, he reached down and helped me up. A stinging pan shot through my butt again, and I gasped, as I stood. "I think I broke my tailbone again."

"Again?"

I blushed. "I tend to fall."

Jack grinned again. "You, darling, are quite the governess."

I rolled my eyes, not bothering to waste the energy to correct my name. "Do you suppose the house it safe to enter?"

"Let's stay here for a while longer. They're still looting, I guarantee it."

"But that man said they were going to the governor's house. They left."

Jack smiled roguishly and leaned against the wall. "You forget who your talking to."

"Whatever." I walked stiffly to a window pane and leaned against it, opposite of the Captain. Looking out, I saw the governor's mansion alight and flames peeking out the windows. "Poor Clarissa, she's probably scared out of her wits…oh my gosh. Clarissa." I slapped a hand over my mouth. The pirates were looking to kidnap her. "We have to warn her!"

"Who?"

"Clarissa is the governor's daughter. The pirates are going to kidnap her! We need to tell someone!"

"No we don't."

My eyes widened in shock. "Are you mad? Of course we do! She's not going to last five minutes with them."

"Clarissa doesn't have what they want, so she'll be okay. When they figure out what happened, they will most likely hold her for ransom."

"How can she not have what they want?"

"As I recall," began Jack, now swaying over, "the description I heard was a tall, dark brown haired, blue-eyed girl who lives in the big house on top of the hill, not specifically the governor's daughter."

I would have collapsed again if Jack hadn't had the decency to catch me. Those pirates had been looking for me. The map and the key…they knew. "It's Barbossa," I gasped. "He must have found out."

"Interesting you should assume that this attack was Barbossa. What could you have that would be of any value to him, or any pirate for that matter?"

"That's none of your business," I snapped. Discreetly, I felt my chemise, under the nightgown, making sure the map and key were still safely there. They were.

"I think it is very much my business, seeing as I just aided in your hiding and protection."

I huffed indignantly at the remark. "Thank you, but I am quite capable of taking care of myself, and anything I might own for that matter."

Jack smirked. "Luv, you are nothing short of being utterly naïve, though I don't doubt you could put up a good fight." He tapped my nose playfully. "But you are going to want great deal more help from me if you want to get out of this unscathed.

I opened my mouth to retort, but held my tongue out of decency. Instead, I narrowed my eyes defensively.

Jack ignored the action and kept smiling. "By the way, that was not Barbossa attacking."

"And how would you know?"

"He has my ship. I'd know the sound of my own cannons, and that wasn't them. It appears you have at least two pirate captains after you." Jack stared at me, making me squirm and drop my gaze. "Though, once they discover they have the wrong girl, they are going to come back. It would be a wise idea to leave Port Royal."

"Where would I go? Who would I go with?" I challenged.

"Come with me. I don't know what you are in possesion of, but I do need help in rescuing my ship."

I looked at him skeptically. "You want me to come with you, to help rescue a ship? I've never sailed in my life. Are you mad?"

"Many have said as much. Though, as I recall, you mentioned an Ella this morning, kidnapped by Barbossa. Obviously someone of great importance to you. Now, if you were to come with me, I could help rescue her. You get your friend back, I get my ship back, everyone's happy. Savvy?"

Running off with Jack Sparrow did not seem like a particularly smart idea. I had only known him for a day, and frankly, he annoyed me. Not to mention he was a criminal, and if I were to be caught with him, I would most likely be hung. But Elizabeth had said he was a good man…and if I could help Ella…I would do anything for her. "You promise?" I asked softly.

"I swear on pain of death that I will rescue this bonny lass friend of yours." He held out his hand to shake.

I took it shyly and shook. "I'm trusting you," I added quickly, though I knew the statement was a lie. I did not trust him in the least, which made me wonder why I was doing this.

He smiled and winked. "Of course you do. After all, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."

I pursed my lips together in annoyance. This man's ego was larger than the state of Texas. "I need to tell Elizabeth."

"No you don't," commanded Jack, gripping my upper arm. "We wouldn't want to drag her into this. She's been through quite enough already, losing dear William and such."

I cocked my head to the side, uncertainty crawling into my head. "I need to at least let her know I'm leaving. She'd worry about me."

"She'd only insist on coming along," said Jack seriously. "Trust me, I know her. If we want to get out of here as quick as possible without anyone seeing us, we need to leave tonight, preferably right now." He opened the window I was leaning against and leapt through, offering his hand to help me.

I was about to take it, but pulled back, thinking again about the situation. Jack always brings trouble to wherever he is. It's part of his character. Was this a wise choice? Even to rescue Ella? The Commodore was going to follow Barbossa...

"You trust me, right, luv?" Jack's hand was still there.

"I...don't know," I answered slowly. Hesitantly, I took it and he pulled me through. I winced at my broken tailbone, but allowed Jack to lead me away from the house. I had a feeling Jack wasn't telling me something, but brushed the thought aside. Elizabeth said he was a good man, and truth be told, he had yet to give me a plausible reason to think otherwise.

Suddenly, he turned around and grabbed my chin. "Do you promise?"

"Promise what?"

"To do anything to help me get my Pearl back?"

"Of course," I answered reassuringly. "Why wouldn't I?"

He smiled cockily. "I just needed to make sure."

Turning, he left me there wondering what exactly I had gotten myself into.