Disclaimer: The Pirates of the Carribean aren't mine. They just happened to wander into my story, and decided they liked it well enough. So I hope you don't mind that they decided to stick around for a while. Feel free to keep an eye on 'em.

Robin's eyes fluttered open as he slowly became aware of his surroundings. The last thing he remembered was running. He had been on some urgent mission. What was it again? Oh, yes. He had been told to inform those aboard the Pearl of Jack's capture. Now he was resting on a cot in a cabin he had never seen. Jacob sat on a rough wooden chair beside him, his head resting in his hands. At first it struck him as odd. He had never before heard of a teenage pirate acting as nurse. It occurred to him after a few moments, however, that he was probably the most qualified person on board to take over the odious task of nursing him back to health. Suddenly he felt a pang of guilt as he realized the poor boy had likely remained at his bedside to care for him for- how long had he been unconscious?- watching over him and caring for him. Why? Such a kind gesture certainly was not necessary. He moved to prop himself up on his elbow, and was met with a protesting ache in his head. He groaned involuntarily, leaning back.

As he was thinking that he really should thank Jacob for his help, the boy jumped, as though suddenly startled from his sleep. Robin turned his head to look at him.

"Are you- are you all right?" the boy asked his patient.

"I think so," Robin said, stretching his sore neck. "How long have I been here?"

"A few hours, perhaps."

"Please tell me you haven't been here the entire time."

Jacob nodded shyly. "I wanted to be sure you- I mean, everyone else was busy," he stuttered.

"Well, thank you very much. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome." The boy smiled shyly. "You fell pretty hard," he pointed out, his eyes twinkling slightly beneath the wide brim of his hat. Why was he still wearing his hat? It was quite dim in here.

"I fell? When?"

"As soon as you told us about Jack- you passed out on the deck right then and there."

"Oh." He could think of nothing else to say at the moment. He noticed now that there were relatively clean strips of cloth bound neatly around his forearms, serving as bandages for the cuts he had received when racing through the tangled undergrowth. "Have you heard word of Jack?" he asked anxiously, attempting once again to sit up.

Jacob reached out impulsively and gently eased Robin back down to the pillow, not wishing for him to injure himself. "No, I haven't. I'm sorry. You- you need to be careful."

Robin sighed in exasperation. "When can I get up? I feel so helpless."

Jacob smiled. "You're far from worthless. If it weren't for you- I mean, if Will hadn't sent you, who knows what would have become of Jack? Sleep," he urged him. "You've had a rough day."

As Robin allowed his head to fall back upon the thin pillow and his eyes to drift closed, he was completely oblivious to the shy smile his caretaker graced him with.

The dirt floor was cold in the cellar, as were the shackles that bound Jack's wrists and ankles and the musty air. He rested dejectedly against the ramshackle stone wall, facing the closed door. Something, perhaps a spider, scuttled over his shin, and he quickly flicked it away. He could see nothing; with the sunlight blocked almost completely by the wooden trapdoor, the room was cloaked in empty darkness. For all he knew, another human could be somewhere in the room with him. For that matter, Jonathan could be within twenty feet of him and he would not know it. Upon being locked in the room, he had thrashed about for a good long while, thinking that perhaps the chains that bound him were weak and could be loosened, but to no avail. When he finally managed to stand up, he had proceeded to hop over in a rather undignified manner to where he assumed the door was, and felt around for some sort of tool that might be used to free his hands. However, all he managed to do was slam his forehead quite painfully into the slanted wooden door. Though he racked his brain, he simply could not invent a clever escape plan, no matter how well he could usually do so. Now he simply sat in the dirt, clinging to the meager hope that maybe, just maybe, one of his comrades knew what had happened and had sent for help.

He had been simply strolling about the clearing, examining the odd little huts strewn about the area, when he had heard a woman's shrill, piercing scream. Before he could react, two armed men emerged from one of the other huts, obviously having heard the cry and coming to respond. He did not know what had frightened the screamer, but cursed her for ruining his day. For though he dove behind a tree at the edge of the clearing as fast as he could, as soon as they turned the corner and began making their way towards the source of the noise, he was caught. The larger of the pair had proceeded to close in on him swiftly, successfully capturing him and locking him in this disgusting cellar. And they had taken his hat and affects! That was just wrong.

After what seemed like an eternity, he heard voices from outside. He cocked his head and scooted closer, straining his ears to hear.

"I think he's in there." This first voice was soft, with a strong accent that was somehow familiar and almost soothing.

"How do you know?" The second speaker was decidedly female, and even more familiar. He pondered this for a moment, before it struck him. Elizabeth? Yes! And the first voice had been Will, it had to be.

"Oh," he heard Elizabeth say. Oh, what? He sighed. Elizabeth was such a puzzle sometimes, even when he couldn't see her.

He jumped slightly when the door rattled, apparently being shaken from the opposite side. He glanced around, wishing he could see, and settled into a more comfortable position, hoping he could find some way to appear less helpless when they got to him.

Will sighed. "Does anyone here know how to pick a lock?" He glanced around imploringly. It must have been seven o'clock by now, and twilight blanketed the island, dimming everyone's vision.

Pintel raised a hand. "I know 'ow," he piped up. He and Ragetti had come after seeing Robin race by, not wishing to be caught alone.

Elizabeth stared at him, amazed. Of all people, Pintel knew how? She was astounded. She stepped back from her place beside Will, gesturing towards the door. "Be my guest," she said.

"I- I 'ave need o' a hairpin," he said awkwardly. "To open the lock, I mean."

Ana and Elizabeth exchanged looks, then turned back to Pintel, apologetic expressions adorning their faces. Elizabeth bit her lip, examining the stubborn padlock while ruminating on how to proceed. After just a few moments, she looked up and cast a nervous glance about, all too aware of the fact that this place was inhabited and not wishing to be caught. The mysterious woman's scream and the men who had captured Jack had proven that. Suddenly she snapped back to reality, a possibility occurring to her. It had decidedly been a woman who had screamed those few hours ago. Perhaps there would be a hairpin somewhere around her cabin? She knew the idea was crazy, but anything was worth a try. It simply wouldn't do to have two Sparrows captured.

Without a word to her companions, she began walking briskly towards the cabin nearest the entrance to the clearing, where she thought the scream had come from. A moment later, Ana appeared at her side. "Where on Earth are ye goin'?" she asked, baffled.

"To the cabin where we heard the scream. When she screamed, they went to take her somewhere else, and there is no way that place fits more than one person."

"Elizabeth-" Will began, concern blatantly obvious on his features, as he took a step towards her.

"I'll be fine," she said reassuringly.

"Why?" Ana asked.

Elizabeth did not answer, but simply fixed her friend with a look that said, 'Figure it out yourself.'

"Oh, yer tryin' to find a hairpin?"

Elizabeth nodded. As they came to about halfway to their destination, Pintel called out to them, "Don' forget, it's got ter be one like Kristie uses!"

"If ye keep that up, yer gonna wear a hole in the deck."

Sarah paused in her endless pacing to look at her friend, who sat on the floor with her map, tracing out yet another route to China. "I doubt it," she drawled.

"Why are ye so nervous, anyhow?"

"Why aren't you? It's your father who's been captured! Do you not care if he's safe or not?" She regretted the words the instant she spoke them. Pirate or not, Kristie certainly cared about her family, and her words must have stung, especially with both Jack and Jonathan missing. What's more, Ana was in danger as well. "I mean, I know you care, but you don't act like it- I didn't mean to imply that you-"

"S' all right," Kristie said softly, staring at the floor. Sarah bit her lip, angry with herself for lashing out so, when she noticed that her friend was trying hard not to cry. "I know ye didn't mean it." The mischievous gleam was absent from her black eyes, replaced by the shine of tears that did not fall. Sarah dropped to her knees beside her friend and pulled her into an embrace. Though she had half expected the girl to pull away, Kristie hesitated a moment, then returned the embrace, resting her head on her shoulder. Sarah wondered how often her friend fought to hold back her tears, wanting to be tough.

Kristie allowed herself to rest her head on Sarah's shoulder for a minute or so as a few tears slipped down her cheeks, before deciding that it was best to stop. If she was honest with herself she was quite tired, and it would be mortifying to fall asleep like this. After all, it was nearly dark. She abruptly pulled back, drawing her knees up to her chest and resting her chin atop them.

Sarah opened her mouth as if to speak some words of comfort, but stopped, her mind refusing to grant her the right words. It was at that moment that Anya, still disguised as Jacob, called her name. She turned to see the girl standing on the ladder leading below decks, her head peeking out of the hatch, motioning for Sarah to come below. With one last sad look at Kristie, she hastened down to the corridor.

"Is everything all right?" she asked upon finding Anya standing outside Robert's cabin door.

"I- I don't know," she confessed, the phony voice dropped, leaving the voice of a girl with an odd accent. In reply to Sarah's inquiring expression, she said, "Robin has been talking in his sleep."

When she did not elaborate on this after a few moments, Sarah asked somewhat impatiently, "About what?"

"About something he saw on the island- near where Captain Sparrow was captured. I believe he was talking about a conversation he heard. He said something about a- a plot of some kind. I don't know what."

"Is he still asleep?" Sarah asked, not wanting to think that Anya had abandoned the chance to learn more.

"No, he woke up thirsty a few minutes ago. But as soon as he's done I think he'll fall asleep again. Shall I tell you anything more I learn?"

"Please do!"

"Would- would you like to come in with me?"

Sarah turned this possibility over in her mind, eventually coming to the decision that it would be best. She did not yet fully trust this girl, and to hear Robin's murmurings firsthand would provide ample proof. She nodded.

"I'll go in and make sure he's asleep."

Another nod. Sarah twiddled her thumbs anxiously as Anya opened the door painstakingly slowly, not wishing to awaken the boy if he had indeed fallen asleep. Peering around at the cot in the corner of the miniscule room, the older girl signaled for Sarah to enter the room. She did so silently, moving to stand at the foot of the bed. Upon taking in the sight of him, however, she began to wonder if such caution was fully necessary. He was buried under the blanket, his auburn curls strewn about his head, which peeked out from the edge of the covers. She almost giggled when he snored slightly, but she remained silent.

For a few minutes he did nothing but snore, and Sarah began to question whether it had been worth it to come in here. But after about a quarter hour, he began muttering to himself again.

"Got to... Sparrow... stop plot... can't let.. die." Sarah's breath caught in her throat. It seemed that he had overheard some sort of conspiracy that planned to do away with her Uncle Jack. What had Jonathan been, then? Had his capture simply been bait? Wide-eyed, she looked to Anya as if the older girl would have the answers to her questions. Sensing Sarah's eyes upon her, she looked up. In response to the quizzical expression gracing her features, she simply shrugged. She knew even less about this whole situation than Sarah did. Or did she?

Elizabeth leaned in closer to the wall as she inched around the back of the hut. She paused, checking to see if there was some sort of window through which she could peek, and Anamaria nearly ran into her. Elizabeth turned around for a moment, mouthing an apology, which Ana just brushed off.

Creeping around to the door at a painstakingly slow pace, Elizabeth ducked skillfully into the security of a shadow. Her eyes roved the sand around the makeshift door while her heart pounded inside her chest. Though she saw nothing, it occurred to her that there was a gentle light emanating from within the hut, and she sprang away from the door, running into poor Ana yet again.

"Watch it!" Ana whispered. "That's the third time in four minutes!"

Elizabeth quickly shushed her friend, pulling her away from the hut. "We have to find another way to pick the lock," she stated. "The obviously didn't take her away from there, because that place is not empty."

They darted back to the cellar door, trying their best to remain hidden in the shadows. When they emerged from the trees beside the cellar, the first thing they noticed was that Will wasn't there. Elizabeth's eyes widened, and she looked around in a panic. Where had he gone? It only took a few moments, however, to locate him, and her worry quickly turned to amusement. He stood as far from the cellar door as possible, just barely concealed in the darkness, looking anxiously at the hut from which they had just fled. His hand rested at the hilt of his sword as though ready to charge in and save Elizabeth if needed. The two women exchanged amused looks.

Wordlessly, Elizabeth tiptoed up behind her husband, taking extreme caution in every step, determined not to be heard. As she got closer, she began to question the wisdom of sneaking up on him like this- no, she had come this far, and she intended to finish the job. When he was merely an arm's length away, she reached out and clamped a hand over his mouth from behind. "You're not going anywhere, Mr. Turner," she whispered.

When she released him a moment later, he turned to face her, a sheepish look on his face. "Uh- did you find a hairpin?" he asked awkwardly.

Elizabeth shook her head and pulled him back over to where Ana stood. Once more provided with a sense of security, she whispered, "That hut isn't empty, Will. Someone's in there."

"Who?"

"I don't know. I just saw candlelight and movement."

He nodded, glancing nervously in the direction of the apparently occupied shelter. Turning back to her, he said softly, "I suppose the best thing we can do is have one of us return to the Pearl and fetch one of Sarah's while the other two stay here."

"Right. There's no sense in having all of us stay here and not accomplish anything."

Will nodded, his gaze wandering to the pale crescent moon above them. The two remained silent for a time, each lost in their own thoughts. They were both startled out of their reverie, however, by a rustling sound- footsteps. Instinctively, they whirled towards the source of the sound. When they saw nothing, they exchanged panicked looks and sprinted for cover as quickly as they could without making noise. As she passed the cellar door, she grabbed Ana, who had been talking to Jack through the cellar door, pulling her along behind them as they dashed towards the shelter of a large boulder about thirty feet away.

It occurred to Ana as she was crouching behind the rock that they had neglected to collect Pintel and Ragetti, and peered around, trying to locate the duo, but was stopped in her search by Elizabeth pulling her back down into the shadows. "I'm lookin' fer Pintel an' Ragetti!" she hissed.

Now it was Elizabeth's turn to glance around in search of the pair, but to no avail. Another rustling noise in the leaves was heard, and she ducked swiftly back down between Will and Ana. "I don't see them either," she whispered, barely audible. Though they could be irritating at times, all three truly did care for the mischievous pirates, and would be heartbroken if anything happened to them.

They were worrying about the wrong thing, however, as proven when the aforementioned two came sprinting towards them as fast as they could, running from someone- or something- that their companions could not see. Their first reaction was relief at the fact that they had been found. Their second reaction was alarm. What were they running from?

Elizabeth stood to see what it might be. After all, if they had been the footsteps she'd heard, they no longer needed to hide from someone across the clearing. Pintel and Ragetti both ran to the boulder, Ragetti promptly tripping over a branch and falling to the ground. Pintel muttered something under his breath as his friend scrambled to his hands and knees, cowering behind him. Both glared up at Elizabeth and Ana, who had stood as well, when they laughed just a moment later, but soon saw that there was good reason when the mangy grey tomcat strutted out into a patch of moonlight, tail twitching in annoyance.

"I think you can come out now," Will chuckled.

"You!" Five heads simultaneously turned in the direction of the angry shout, finding two armed guards advancing towards them across the clearing at a startlingly rapid pace, guns aimed and ready to fire at a moment's notice.

"Um," Will began uneasily, quickly glancing around at his surroundings, appraising his chances of survival.

Elizabeth did not hesitate to voice her expert opinion on the situation at hand: "Run."

Anya's eyes fluttered open at the sound of Kristie and Sarah arguing in the hallway again. She mentally berated herself for allowing herself to doze off, and quickly looked over at Robin to see how he was doing. She found him awake, looking at her rather curiously. "Are you all right?" she asked softly, almost forgetting to use her fake voice. It hurt her throat after a while, and could be quite a hassle.

"Yes, thank you," he replied somewhat distantly, still staring at her with that odd expression. It was beginning to make her feel uncomfortable.

"You look- I mean, you don't look quite well," she said, trailing off as something occurred to her. Her eyes widened in panic, and her gaze dropped to the ground, where her hat and hair tie had evidently fallen while she slept. "Oh no," she breathed. She buried her face in her hands. First Sarah, now Robin- she was terrible at keeping this secret. She really should just cut her hair. She heard the old mattress groan as he moved, but could not bear to face him right now. As frustrated, shameful tears came to her eyes and her nose hurt with the effort of holding them back, she realized that someone was touching the hair that had fallen about her face, pulling it back. Forcing herself to regain her composure, she turned to face Robin, expecting to be met with shock, confusion, and anger. She was surprised, however, to find a look of curiosity and- was that respect? He gently tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

"I was right," he murmured, his hand falling back to his lap.

"You knew?" She couldn't help but think to herself that this conversation was becoming incredibly familiar.

"I didn't know, but I guessed," he admitted.

"Oh."

"If- if you don't mind," he said awkwardly, "Who- um, what's your name?"

She eyed him warily. As much as she liked him, she was reluctant to grant anyone that information. "Why do you need to know?" she asked. She regretted her words immediately when she saw the hurt that surfaced on his face. Of course he meant no harm. Why would he? "I'm sorry," she quickly said. "I- I'm just- shy, I suppose."

"It's all right," he said reassuringly, smiling warmly at her, and her heart skipped a beat. "I understand if you don't want to tell me."

"No, I want to- I mean, I don't mind. My name is Anya."

He nodded. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but was silenced by a knock at the door. Anya sprang out of her chair, scrambling to replace her disguise. Robin attempted to jump up and help her, but promptly sat back down, overwhelmed by the shooting pain in his head. "Come in!" the girl called, out of breath, using Jacob's voice once more. Robert walked in carrying his sketchpad, his brow furrowed. "Is something wrong?" he asked slowly.

"No, nothing is wrong. Everything is just fine," Anya said cheerily, to which the young boy nodded skeptically.

He tucked the book into the miniscule trunk at the foot of his bed, then left, shaking his head in bewilderment.

(A/N:) Sorry it took me so long to post this.. life gets in the way of itself, doesn't it? Every day is like a tent- it just doesn't fit into the container it's supposed to!

Hope you guys liked it! :)