I know that you all have had a ton of questions, as there are many things that have been left in the dark with the plot of the story. I'm hoping that this chapter will answer most of these questions and make things much clearer. And to my lovely, encouraging, amazing, awesome, beautiful, constant reviewers, lovelyxxfreedom, Rwy'n-Y-Blaidd-Drwg, Lightwolfheart, and Eva Sirico, thank you for your wonderful reviews on the last chapter!

lovelyxxfreedom: I hadn't thought about doing a whole story just on Garner's point of view, but it would be interesting and fun to write from his perspective. I'm going to have to think on that.

Chapter Twelve: Answers

"Ouch! Stop proddin' me there!"

"Oh hold still, ya baby!"

Kate fought to press the cloth dipped in an herbal solution to one of Jack's cuts. He hissed as she finally was able to press it to his face.

"It can't hurt that bad." Kate said, exasperated.

"Well, it does." Jack retorted through gritted teeth. Kate had to stop herself from rolling her eyes as she dabbed at his face.

"This shouldn't hurt at all. It should feel cool," Kate commented, picking up a small dish of salve. She pressed two of her fingers into the sticky substance. "Close your eyes," She instructed. After Jack had closed his eyes, Kate gently applied the salve to the discoloration and swollen spots around his eye, rubbing it in.

Jack let out a sigh and she grinned, "Told you it wouldn't hurt."

"Well that time you didn't lie! How was I supposed to know?" He complained. Kate wiped her hand off on the cloth and he opened his eyes again.

"Has Bolton come to see you recently?" She asked.

"Just once," he said vaguely.

"And?" Kate waved her hand for him to give more details.

"And nothing. He asked if there was anything I wanted to tell him an' then left when he didn't hear what he wanted to hear." Jack continued.

"Ah," Kate simply said. She occupied herself with covering the dish containing the salve with a piece of parchment and a tie. "I guess you didn't piss him off this time, then."

Jack chuckled. "Such language."

Kate gave him a pointed look.

"Aye, I didn't say nothing." He smirked.

"But the first time, what did you say?" She prompted.

"Nothing," He said smoothly.

Kate raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh, really?"

"Mhm." He rubbed his wrists where his skin had turned red.

Kate did not press him more on the issue. There was a comfortable silence that fell between the two. Jack stretched out his legs and Kate leaned her head against the wall, closing her eyes. Despite having done nothing the past few days, she felt exhausted.

"Garner," Jack stated.

Kate's eyes flittered open. "Garner…?" She repeated, confused.

Jack cleared his throat. "He didn't tell."

Kate nodded slowly. "I told you he wouldn't."

"Why?" He asked. "Why risk his career and put his life on the line for someone he barely knows," he pointed at her, "and a pirate he doesn't know at all?" He then pointed at himself.

Kate hesitated. In all the talking she had with him about escaping, she never once thought about why he would help them. She was too focused on him realizing what he was getting himself into and the seriousness of the situation. "I don't know myself, at least not fully. He's a good man." She said eventually. "He knows I didn't do it, but he knows that I'll hang for being with you, and the crew of the Black Pearl."

"So he has feelings for you?" Jack concluded slowly.

"What! No!" Kate's eyes widened. "We're friends, Jack. I mean except for that one night—which was completely out of the ordinary and a one time thing, I needed money!—we're just close."

Jack cocked his head to the side, studying her. "I see."

"There's this Clarke fellow, too. I took the hint that he didn't like—"

"Clarke? Captain Clarke?" Jack suddenly seemed much more interested.

"Yes, he is a captain in the navy." Kate clarified. "Garner told me that Webber and Adger told Bolton that we —as in you and me –were involved with Clarke in murdering Willows."

"That bastard," Jack spat.

"I thought you knew that though?" Kate asked, surprised.

"No," Jack replied, flexing his fingers. "They hate my guts, but I didn't know they would stoop so low to accuse me of being accomplices with Clarke."

"What did you do?" Kate asked.

"What?" Jack asked, confused, turning to look at her.

"Why do Webber and Adger hate you? It can't be merely healthy competition over pirate matters." Kate explained.

"Oh, no, it's more than that." He paused, slouching down against the wall.

"Well…?" Kate waited for him to explain the situation.

Jack was silent, as if thinking.

"You know, for dragging me into this whole situation and as I'm heading to my death sentence you sure don't answer any of my questions." Kate said angrily.

"Alright, alright!" Jack held his hands up. "Get comfy," He muttered to her.

Kate held back a grin, running a hand through her hair.

"Clarke has, to make a long story shorter, wronged a lot of pirates. He meddles in business that would have the fathers of the British Navy rolling in their graves. You could ask most pirates, and most would say Clarke had done something to them or they know someone that he's done somethin' to." He paused. "Take Conrad, for example." He held up one finger. "Conrad was a commander—a very popular one at that—and was about to be promoted to captain when Clarke raped his wife. He then accused Conrad of sleeping with his wife. Clarke had a few of his men act as false witnesses and Conrad's wife was too scared to say that Clarke had done anything to her. His men held threats over her head.

"So, there's Conrad for you. More relevantly, Captain Harlow. Clarke sank his ship and killed half his crew. While that's what the Navy does, it does no good to make a pirate captain happy that way. Harlow paid me to frame Clarke for Willows's murder."

"But why Willows?" Kate asked, interrupting. "Why some random governor from a simple town as Port Veridian."

Jack shook his head. "Willows is not as innocent as everyone thinks. Willows provided financial support for Clarke to carry out his operations and helps things run smoothly. How do you think Clarke gets away with so much?"

Jack let Kate sink this information in for a moment before continuing.

"With Willows on his side, the government turned their eyes the other way, letting him do what he wanted freely." Jack rubbed his temple. "Anyhow, back to me being hired by Harlow. He offered a considerable sum for me to kill Willows and frame it as Clarke; a job I gladly accepted as I wanted Clarke gone—though I might have done it a bit differently than just point blank—but I was gaining a considerable amount of gold for doin' it the way Harlow wanted it done."

"So you would kill a man just for gold?" Kate said, not believing that the pirate would actually do that.

Jack leaned forward. "You don't understand Kate the things that that man has done. I don't dare tell you because I'm not sure you could contain your dinner." Jack whispered darkly. "I'm not a murderer, Kate."

Kate was silent, trying to wrap her mind around everything he had told her. She had assumed that Jack was being paid for killing Willow, but she didn't know why or the circumstance.

"How did you plan on framing Clarke?" Kate asked.

"I found some documents with his signature on it and was able to forge a note. I stuck it in Willow's coat pocket. I had some other things planned, but I wasn't able to fully execute them…" He gave her a look with a small grin.

"Oh, yes, I ruined your plans on purpose so I could run away and leave my boring life behind for adventure on the seas!" Kate said dramatically.

Jack rolled his eyes.

"Did that answer all of your questions?" He asked, turning to look at her.

"What about Captain Webber and Captain Adger?" Kate asked. "You never did explain them."

"Did you notice that Webber is missing an eye and has a large scar, yeah?"

Kate nodded, and then frowned. "You did that, didn't you?"

"It was deserved." Jack muttered. "Me and Webber were on the same crew, long time back. We had a mutiny against the captain, and the crew nominated me to be the new captain, even though Webber was the first mate. He didn't like that much."

Kate gave an exasperated sigh. "You guys are like a bunch of little kids, fighting over who gets to be the line leader!"

Jack laughed. "Pirates, Kate."

"Well I think pirates and children are more and more alike every time I hear something about pirates!"

Jack grinned. "May I continue?" At her silence, he proceeded with his story. "We were sailing for some treasure that our old captain had left behind, but before we arrived, Webber planted some false lies and led a mutiny against me. Either way, I managed to get to the gold before them. There wasn't even a whole lot left…" He trailed off.

"You got to the gold before them…" Kate tried to keep him on track of the story.

"As I was about to leave with it, Webber had arrived, now as captain, and with none other than Adger, his newly appointed first mate. There was a bit of a struggle. Webber lost his eye. Adger some other precious bits. But I got me gold."

Kate shook her head. "I don't understand the obsession with gold."

"That's why you're not a pirate." Jack quipped back.

"Yeah, I guess so…" Kate trailed off.

"So Garner really plans on trying to get us out of here?" Jack said after a moment, changing the subject.

"Yes," Kate said, turning to look at him. "I don't know what he plans on doing yet, but he counts on the Black Pearl to come to Veridian to come for you."

"And you?" Jack asked.

"What about me?" Kate asked, hesitantly.

"Are they not coming back for you, too?"

Kate hesitated. "Well, it would depend if they welcomed me back aboard." She said finally.

Jack grinned. "You'd be welcome. Trouble and all." He reached out and ruffled Kate's hair.

"Hey!" She yelled, giving him a playful shove.

"Shh!" Jack grabbed Kate's shoulders to keep her still as he listened, one finger held in front of his lips. Footsteps could be heard echoing down the hallway and two voices rose as they neared.

"Quickly, chain me back up!" Jack whispered. Kate rushed to get Jack's wrists cuffed again. Kate slipped the key into her pocket just as the door opened.

Bolton and another sailor stopped in the doorway, both stopping abruptly when they saw Kate. Kate held up the dish of salve; she had managed to get the paper off before the commodore had entered the room. "I thought some medication would ease the pain," she said.

The commodore stared at her for a moment and then nodded. He turned to the sailor. "Back to your duties," he commanded. The sailor left the room without a word.

"And how did you get in here, Miss Katherine?" He asked.

"Captain Garner was gracious enough to allow me in when he saw that I had some treatments." Kate said innocently. She leaned forward towards Jack, applying the salve on one of his cuts. She had already applied them, but it wouldn't hurt to act like she was really doing what she said she was doing in front of Bolton. "I hope that is alright," she said, her hand hovering over his face as she turned to the commodore.

"I would prefer you to ask me directly next time. We wouldn't something to happen to you..." Bolton let his implication hang in the air. Jack's eyes narrowed.

"I will wait until you are done to speak to the pirate, then." Bolton said.

"Oh, well I just arrived. I'll just be a few minutes." She explained. "Just act like I'm not even here." She smiled.

Bolton returned her smile, but it was cold. "Perhaps another time."

The commodore waited for Kate to finish reapplying the medication to Jack. Kate tried to take as long as she could, but she was forced to dismiss herself from the room when she was finished. She was sorry that she wouldn't be privy to the conversation between the two. She knew that Jack wouldn't tell her, and she wanted to know what each one was saying to the other that made them so angry.

Kate returned the medication from where she had gotten them and made her way to the main deck. The salty breeze greeted her face and she was surprised when she saw land perhaps a few miles away. Kate looked around for Garner and found him at the helm. She climbed the stairs and stopped at his side. "Is that Port Veridian?" She asked.

"Yes." Garner answered simply.

"And your plan?" She asked.

Garner shrugged. Either he had it completely planned out and just didn't want to reveal it to her or he was still working on it and didn't want her to worry.

Kate swallowed and her hands began to shake. She realized that her fate rested in Garner's hands with this plan. If it didn't work, or he didn't follow through, she would be facing the gallows by tomorrow morning. She steadied herself by placing her hands on the railing.

There was a clatter and Kate's eyes found Jack's as he emerged from below, two men on each arm and one holding a gun fixed on him from behind. There was a fresh gash on Jack's arm that shined crimson in the sunlight. Bolton waved to Garner and the latter quietly sighed. "I'm sorry, Miss Katherine." He held out a pair of handcuffs and stepped forwards with an apologetic look on his face. Kate was confused at first, then understood they were intended for her. She was the prisoner again. Was this the beginning of the end?

Kate offered her wrists and the cuffs snapped around them, ensnaring her. What she wasn't expecting was a small, smooth piece of metal pressed against her palm. She understood instantly what Garner had stealthily given her, but she did not acknowledge him.

Garner led Kate down the stairs from the helm. She regarded the approaching port. What would have filled her with hope and joy a couple months ago merely filled her with dread and despair now. How ironic.

The moment of hope she had received from the key disappeared. Kate felt herself being led towards Jack and they stood quietly together, looking out at their approaching doom. The Navy ship pulled into the dock. Kate snuck a look at Jack's face. It remained expressionless, impassable, as his eyes shifted back and forth as he watched the sailors below.

"What are you thinking?" She whispered to him.

Jack looked at her from the corner of his eye. "I hope Garner's smarter than I think he is." He answered honestly. Kate nodded and the conversation ended as the two captives were led from the ship.

Suddenly, Kate felt very alone. The Navy officers guarding her only made her feel claustrophobic and Jack felt miles away. Kate stepped closer towards him, until their shoulders grazed.

The group stopped and Bolton appeared before them, officers stepping out of the way so he could stand before them. "Is there no more you wish to say?" He looked directly at Kate, ignoring Jack. Kate's gaze dropped, fearing words would escape her mouth without her consent if she continued looking at the commodore.

"I could use a bandage," Jack said dryly, holding up his arm that showed the wound Bolton had inflicted upon him. Bolton completely ignored him.

"Very well. Take them to the jail." There was a tone of sorrow concealed in his voice, as if he was sorry of Kate's fate. Kate figured it was false.

The group started moving again with Garner at the lead. He did not look back at Kate nor did he show any signs. The cuffs around Kate's wrists felt like they weighed a million pounds as they continued their uphill trek. Jack cleared his throat next to her, and before Kate was even thinking, she slipped one of her chained hands into his. Kate's other arm was forced at an awkward angle as the chain was pulled taught between her two arms. Jack turned to give her a surprised look, but didn't have a chance to say anything.

"Why are we going this way, captain?" One of the sailors hollered as Garner turned to the east. The jail was situated by the navy headquarters, which was to the west. Kate couldn't focus on her surroundings. Despite living here almost her entire life, everything looked different; connections weren't being made.

"There's someone I need to speak with beforehand. It's pertinent to the case." His voice was rigid and commanding, one that Kate was not familiar with. She was used to his soft, gentle voice. It sounded odd coming out of his mouth.

The group stopped and Kate felt now was as good a time as any to unchain herself. She reluctantly moved her hand from Jack's warm, calloused one. Checking that none of the guards were paying attention to them, she fiddled with the key, trying to fit it into the lock at the awkward angle.

She had caught Jack's attention and he was watching her curiously. His eyebrows raised in surprise once he realized that she had a key. Garner? He mouthed to her.

Kate managed a nod. Voices were rising up front between said captain and other, rougher voices.

Just as Kate heard a click and her shackles fell to the ground, pandemonium rang. Kate and Jack both looked up in fear, thinking that the crazed voices and noise were directed at them, but the guards surged forwards towards Garner and the other voices.

"Pirates!" One voice yelled above the din. Swords gleamed in the afternoon sunlight.

Once Kate had gained her bearings, she quickly stuck the key into Jack's cuffs. She fiddled with the key, turning it in every which way, but it would not unlock. "It won't go!" Kate said, exasperated. "It's not the same key!"

"No matter! We don't have time!" Jack decided.

"Which way do we go?" Kate shouted over the noise of clashing swords and shouts and dust.

"Out!" Jack grabbed Kate's hand, even though his were still cuffed, and started running east of the group, dragging Kate along with him.

"Wait! What if it's the crew?" Kate shouted after him, still being pulled along.

"They're not stupid enough to come on land. They'll be waiting at the dock!" Jack did not stop running, rounding corner after corner so that Kate was now lost in her own town.

"Jack, I don't like this! You don't know where the boat will be. It's not like they will just sit out in the open!" She reasoned.

"You're right, I don't." He replied. "An' it's a ship, not a boat…" He mumbled under his breath. He didn't pay any further attention to Kate's pleas or worries. He suddenly stopped and Kate nearly barreled him over when she ran into his back.

"Geez, woman." He mumbled, righting himself. He was peeking around a corner and Kate stood on her toes to peek around over his head. She hadn't realized it, but Jack had merely taken them in a circle, stopping at a point several yards in front of the group. This way, if it was the crew, they could join them; if it was not, they could still escape.

"Look! Brandon and Nate!" Kate pointed in delight and she started forward to go help the crew fight the soldiers, but Jack had grabbed her arm, holding her back.

"And with what weapon do you plan on fighting with?" Jack asked, a corner of his lips tugging upwards into a smirk.

Kate instinctively reached for the sword at her side, but it was not there. It had been confiscated by the navy. She looked down at Jack's side and disappointedly realized that he did not have his either. "Garner," She said, her head whipping around, hoping that maybe he would have them.

She started forward, but again, Jack held her back. "Just wait," he instructed. "They know what they're doing."

Patience may be a virtue, but it certainly was not one that Kate possessed. She was forced to idly sit and watch as the struggle played out before them. Then, slowly, the crowd seemed to thin out. A few navy soldiers were sprawled on the ground, dirt mixing with the blood that seeped from their wounds. But that seemed to be all that was left. The guards looked around in confusion, wondering how the pirates had just disappeared.

One guard finally realized that it was not only the pirates that had escaped, but the prisoners as well. "It was a diversion!" He cried out. "The prisoners have escaped!"

The soldiers then split off into groups, heading out in different directions to find the captives. Unnervingly, one group started to head in Jack and Kate's exact direction.

"We need ta move." Jack said quickly. They ducked back behind the corner and Kate, fearing her captivity, slid her hand into Jack's. A startled look crossed his face again, but he had no time to ponder it as a hand covered his mouth and another covered Kate's, pulling them both backwards and off-balance into a shop.

Jack elbowed his captor as hard as he could in the gut. There was an oof! and his captor released him. Jack whirled around, his arm drawn back, ready to punch the captor in the face.

"Oi! Wait, it's jus' me!" Gibbs was waving one hand in the air in front of Jack and his other was holding his gut. "I forget you go and do things like that!"

Jack's eyes lighted and his mouth cracked into a smile. "You good for nothing dog!"

By now, Kate had turned to find her captor to be Nate. Her face lighted up and she threw her arms around him in a big hug. "Nate!" She exclaimed.

He chuckled and hugged her back. "The food's not been nearly as good since you left." He grinned.

Kate rolled her eyes. "That's the only thing you missed about me?" She teased, feigning a hurt look.

Gibbs was now noticing the discoloration on Jack's face. "Mother of pearl, what happened to ya?" He questioned, stepping forward to inspect more closely.

"Ah, Bolton," he waved his hand, shooing away Gibbs to indicate he was fine. "I pissed him off." He paused, and smirked. "I tend to do that a lot, eh?"

"Where's the rest of the crew?" Kate asked, glancing around the shop, ready for the rest of them to pop out and surprise them.

"Split up. They'll be making their way back to the Black Pearl. Trying to be inconspicuous." Gibbs answered her. "We weighed anchor behind the cliffs, quite a distance out. We didn't think anyone would readily notice us there."

"They took my weapons," Jack said dismally. "I liked that sword." He mumbled.

"No worries," Nate said brightly. "I nicked this one off the leader of the group." He tossed the sword he was holding in his hand, showing the hilt to Jack. "Fancy, huh?"

Jack took the sword and weighed it in his hand. "Musta been Garner's."

"Garner?" Gibbs looked confused.

"Aye, some navy friend o' Kate's. He was the one helping us escape." He said offhandedly as he examined the sword; he stopped suddenly. "Wait, you didn't talk to Garner?"

"Who's this Garner guy?" Nate had been fiddling with some of the items on the shelves of the shop and had just caught the tail end of their conversation. The others ignored him.

"No…" Gibbs trailed off. "We talked with a man named Gary…"

"Gary? Who the 'ell is Gary?" Jack asked, glancing over at Kate.

"Garner probably just gave them a different name… probably just being careful so he didn't get caught." Kate reasoned.

Jack considered this.

"I hope he's okay…" Kate trailed off. She tugged at a piece of her hair.

"Is he the guy with the sword?" Nate asked, coming to join the others with a loaf of bread in his hands. At Jack's nod, he continued. "Oh, I think I knocked him out." He said, then seeing the look on Kate's face, added, "I didn't know I wasn't supposed to!"

Jack shook his head. "No, it's good you did. Would've been more suspicious if he hadn't of been."

Kate nodded. Jack continued to examine the sword and slid it into his sheath when he had determined it suited him. "Hopefully he won't be missing this." He grinned.

"Let's get out of here." Gibbs said, glancing around the shop. "I feel weird in this port."

Jack nodded. "You two take Kate back to the ship. I need to have a couple words with Garner." He ordered.

Kate gave him a curious glance, but she did not argue as the others guided her from the shop. Jack waited a few minutes before stepping out of the shop himself. He looked both ways and tried to keep in the shadows of the buildings as he headed back towards the scene he had fled from earlier.

From a distance, he could see Garner, sprawled out on the ground, unconscious from Nate's blow. Jack reached into one of his jacket pockets and pulled out a small note. He looked around, noticing no one, and picked his way around the other bodies to him. He knelt down, pushing him over onto his back. He stuck the note into Garner's inside pocket and patted it there.

"See ya around, Garner." He said with a smile, quickly retreating back to the shadows and towards the Black Pearl.

Kate and Jack are just getting cuter and cuter, aren't they? :) I hope this chapter cleared up a lot of questions you all may have had-if not, tell me what your question is in the review and I'll try to answer it. Remember, reviews make my day! :)

Also, tell me if you would be interested in reading this story from Garner's POV. Awful idea? Fantastic idea? I'd start it after I finished this story. Thoughts?

-Becca