Miss Anya: Glad you're still enjoying. Here's a bit more for you :-)

Cal: Glad to see you're back! I was wondering what had happened to you. I love reading your deliciously long reviews. I'm sorry that it's been such an ordeal for you to post them lately, but I really appreciate you taking the time to rewrite them...thank you, thank you, thank you.

Indy Croft: It's good to see a new reader. I've worked very hard at keeping Jack and Ana in character and it's always good to hear that someone thinks I've been successful. Sorry that I don't have any other stories out there for you to read, but this one has really consumed my free time. Jack is a demanding character, isn't he? Anyway, glad you're enjoying so far and I hope you'll keep reading.

And now for Chapter 10...I think this might be a slightly different format than the other chapters, hope that doesn't bother anyone. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho!

Chapter Ten

Anamaria dressed quickly and hurried up to the deck to meet Jack.

"What can I do Captain?" she asked.

"Just give orders. I want to get us out of the area. I'll stay at the helm and you give the commands to get us moving."

Anamaria nodded.

Several hours later, the captain and his first mate felt they were a safe distance away from Norrington's range. They agreed to reef the sails and just enjoy the nice weather the sea was providing them with that day.

As night began to fall, the two pirates decided to leave the sails reefed and continue to drift. Jack went to his cabin early and left Anamaria on deck in charge.

When he heard a soft tap at his door an hour later, he assumed that it was Gibbs and crossed the room to let him in. He was surprised to see Anamaria standing there and he immediately questioned her. "You're supposed to be in charge above deck. What are you doing 'ere?"

Anamaria pushed past him to let herself in the room. "I brought you something. It will only take me a minute. Take your shirt off and lie down on the bed."

Jack shot her a strange look, "What?"

"Face down, " Anamaria insisted, shutting the door behind her and crossing the room to stand by the captain's bed.

Jack followed her orders, slowly pulling his shirt over his head as he stared at her strangely.

"C'mon, hurry up. I haven't got all night. I need to get back on deck."

Jack obeyed, lying down on his bed quickly. He turned his head to see Anamaria pull something out of her pocket and sit down beside him.

"Now, this might hurt a bit at the beginning," she said, touching his back as gently as possible.

Jack cringed slightly and then the burning eased and he felt a cooling effect.

"There," Anamaria said softly, "see, it's better already, isn't it?"

Jack nodded slowly, enjoying the cool feeling as well as the touch of Anamaria's hands on his back, rubbing in smooth, soft circles.

"Decker gave me some ointment for cuts and scratches. I told him you had hurt yourself working on the ship." Anamaria continued to rub the paste into the scratch marks on Jack's back.

Decker was the ship's doctor and although he had never received any amount of formal training, he was excellent at what he did. Jack had never known a better doctor onboard a pirate ship.

"Thank you, Ana," Jack said.

"You know I felt bad this morning when I saw what I had done to you." Her voice was soft and slightly regretful.

Jack's lips curled at the ends of his mouth into a small smile.

Ana made sure the medicine was completely rubbed in and then kissed Jack sweetly on his cheek. "I will always take good care of you, for as long as you are my captain."

Jack had closed his eyes, but he opened them now to see her beautiful dark eyes staring into his. "Thank you," he said, just above a whisper.

"You're welcome," she kissed his lips, softly and he kissed her back, allowing his tongue to playfully move across her teeth and search the inside of her mouth.

Regretfully, she pulled away, "I have to get back up on deck." She brushed a loose strand of hair out of his eyes.

Jack pulled her back into another kiss, "I am the captain, you know." Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her closer to him, "I could order you to stay below deck."

Anamaria let out a small laugh, "I don't think that would be such a good idea."

She pulled away again and Jack sighed, "I suppose not."

"Don't worry," Anamaria said, patting him on the leg before standing, "I'll be back to finish what we started."

Jack smiled.

"And this time," she bent to kiss him softly, "I won't be so rough."

"What's wrong with rough?" Jack whimpered.

Anamaria smiled at him as she turned to go, "Well, if you insist..."

And then she was gone. She always left Jack wanting more, but this time he fell asleep shortly after she left.

It was much later when Anamaria snuck into his room. She made her way to the bed and sat down beside him. She began by laying small, soft kisses on his back and Jack stirred slightly. She continued, moving to kiss down his arms and then back across his back, making sure to avoid the claw marks she had left on him the night before.

He was awake now, enjoying the feel of her lips on his skin. She could tell by his breathing that he was no longer asleep and kissed his lips. Jack returned the kiss, pulling her into his arms.

She was alone again when she woke up the next morning. The previous night had been passionate, but they had not marked each other as they had before. Anamaria got dressed and left Jack's room, walking down the hall and up the stairs to the top deck.

She had almost reached the helm when a shout came down from the crow's nest, "Sail ho!"

Jack moved to retrieve his telescope. Pulling it out and peering through it, he could tell the ship was a large one. He guessed that it was probably of military origin and almost decided to change their course, but stayed true to his plan.

"Does it look promising?" Anamaria asked, now at his shoulder.

Jack took the lens away from his eye. "It's a big one."

"Merchant?" she asked.

"Might be," he shrugged.

The crew was shouting to one another to get the sails up so the ship could increase her pace.

"Captain?" Anamaria hadn't liked his tone.

"I think it's milit'ry," he said, lowering his voice.

"Jack!" Anamaria never addressed her captain by his first name while they were on deck, but none of the crew were close enough to hear and most of them were too busy preparing to meet the ship. She wanted him to know she was being serious.

"I'm not positive yet..."

Anamaria didn't let him finish, "We can't pursue a bloody military ship. Not after what happened a few days ago. We'd be out of our minds."

"I don't care. If it turns out to be milit'ry, they'll still have valuables on board." Jack stepped away from the helm, taking the telescope with him. "Good morning to you too," he added, before leaving to begin giving orders.

Anamaria took her place in charge at the helm as she watched her captain hurry about the ship. When they had gained on them significantly, Jack rejoined her to peer through his telescope once again. He was disappointed to find his earlier suspicions had proven true, however Anamaria knew from the look on his face that they had made a mistake.

"It is military, isn't it?" she asked quietly.

Jack dropped the telescope from his eye and looked at the deck. She was just beginning to wonder if he was going to answer her when he said, "It's milit'ry and they've changed their course. They've turned to meet us. "

"What do you want us to do?"

Jack didn't answer immediately.

"Captain Sparrow, this is not a good idea. We could still turn ourselves around and probably escape them."

Jack shook his head, "And give Norrington the satisfaction of hearing later on that we ran from them? No, we'll fight."

"Captain, we sunk a Navy ship just the other day. If we sink another, Norrington will be out for our blood."

"I don't care about bloody Norrington. We're gonna stand up to them and we're gonna fight. I want Norrington to know that his ships can't match The Pearl."

"Jack," she started.

"That's enough," he raised his voice. "I've made my decision. I don't think I need to remind you who is captain of this ship."

Anamaria did not let her hurt and anger shine through her eyes, but instead, silently stormed off to prepare them for battle. Jack knew she would be angry about his comment, but his decision was final. They would not run from Norrington or his men. And how dare she refer to him by his first name while on duty? She had overstepped her bounds and definitely forgotten her place.

It didn't take long for the two ships to meet in the water. Jack had commanded his crew to run up the Jolly Roger and the Royal Navy ship fired the first cannon shot. The Pearl returned fire and the two ships let go anchor, stopping with about twenty yards between them.

The Navy men immediately began to board The Pearl and Jack became angry. He knew that his crew outnumbered the Navy ship's, but it would be best if Jack could keep as many of them off of The Pearl as possible. He could already hear the familiar clang of swords and he hurried to join the fight. He found himself fighting beside his first mate and he caught a glint of anger at him in her dark eyes.

Jack had killed five men so far and as he turned to take on the next, he noticed the blood that was beginning to run across the deck. Fortunately, he did not see any of his men dead, but he felt that might change if things did not take a turn for the better soon. The navy men were skilled with their swords, but the pirates outnumbered them.

Noticing that he had not heard The Pearl's cannons fired since those first few warning shots, Jack went below deck to investigate. The crewmembers assigned to the cannons were standing below waiting for orders when he arrived.

"Why the bloody 'ell aren't we blasting them with the long nines?" he yelled.

"Mr. Gibbs told us to hold fire sir," Jacobs answered, staring straight ahead at attention.

"Forget what bloody Gibbs said," Jack shouted. "I'm the Captain and I want you firing at them!"

The team shouted, "Aye!" and turned to obey their captain, quickly lighting the fuses on the already loaded cannons.

"Keep firing until you see 'er at the bottom of the ocean!" Jack commanded. Seeing that they were doing their jobs properly now, he crossed the room to get some more powder for his pistol.

The next sequence of events was a blur for Jack. He heard footsteps moving quickly in his direction and as he turned to see who was rushing his way, he heard a loud pop. At almost the exact same time he felt and saw Anamaria crash into his side. Jack fell to the floor, but the shot that had been fired hit the powder and it caught fire. Anamaria had fallen against the barrel and out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw her left arm engulfed in a flame. She began to shout for help and Cotton ran to her side.

Jack didn't think twice, but brought his pistol up and fired a shot directly into the Navy crewman's head. He then moved quickly to Anamaria's side. Cotton had put out the fire, but she was in great pain. When she saw Jack standing over her she gripped his hand tightly.

"Someone get Decker up here!" he yelled. "Now!"

Tears poured down Anamaria's face, "Jack, please. I'm fine. You need to be on deck."

Jack nodded, squeezing her hand tightly. He wiped the sweat from her brow with his sleeve. Her arm looked pretty bad, but he had actually seen much worse. He wasn't sure whether he should use his sash to wrap around her wound or not. He decided that the burn might be better off in the open air and was glad to see Decker come running up. Taking one glance at the burned pirate, he ordered, "I need to get her to my quarters."

Jack picked her up in his arms and began to carry her towards Decker's working quarters. Once there, he laid her gently on the doctor's table. Wiping her brow again, he told her, "I've got to take care of things on deck. Decker's going to take good care of you."

Anamaria nodded, but tears were still rolling down her face.

"You're going to be fine, I promise," Jack wiped her brow with his hand and then gave her hand one last squeeze before leaving the room and running up the stairs to the deck. He shouted orders to the crew and began fighting again himself, but his mind was on Anamaria. It was his fault she was hurt. She had pushed him out of the way of that gunshot and now she was injured.

Jack had been fighting strategically earlier, but now his only goal was to sink the Navy ship and kill its crewmembers. It didn't take long for The Pearl's crew to take complete control of the situation and soon the Navy ship's captain asked to speak one on one with Jack. Jack agreed to meet him on The Pearl's deck and soon he appeared.

He was a tall and lanky man that Jack would place in his late fifties. "Captain…" the man trailed off.

"Sparrow," Jack finished. "Captain Jack Sparrow."

The man appeared slightly surprised, but Jack had a hard time believing that he had not known he was Captain of The Pearl.

"Captain Sparrow, you seem bent on destroying our ship and I feel that it is only fair to warn you of the repercussions of sinking a Navy ship."

"I know the repercussions," Jack cut him off. "I'm a bloody pirate. Do you think they wouldn't have my head whether I sank your ship or not? Commodore Norrington will hang me if I'm caught no matter what."

"If you let me go, I will talk to Commodore Norrington on your behalf," the captain pleaded.

Jack sighed loudly as his eyes moved skyward. "It's pitiful really. You standing 'ere, begging me not to sink your ship. I don't believe you would 'ave extended that courtesy to me and I'm not prepared to extend it to you. Would you prefer to die fighting honorably or aboard you ship?"

"If I must die, then I will die fighting." The captain drew his sword and began to circle Jack. A large group of crewmembers from both The Pearl and the Navy had stopped fighting to see the battle that was about to ensue.

On a normal day, the captain might have stood a fair chance against Jack, who was not typically an excellent swordsman. But today, Jack was angry and his white-hot temper led him to a quick victory. Once the captain had been killed, his crewmembers seemed to lose heart. A few volunteered to join the pirate crew, but Jack was not interested. He refused their proposals and ordered them shot.

"Captain?" Gibbs questioned. "Are you sure?" he whispered lowly so that the rest of the crew could not hear. His captain had never ordered him to shoot an unarmed man before. Especially not one who had voluntarily offered to join his crew.

Jack's eyes flashed. "Do it and sink the ship."

Gibbs remained unmoving.

"Now! The ship and the entire crew…gone! I want nothing more to do with them." Jack turned and began to walk down the stairs towards Decker's cabin. He heard the first few shots being fired and he was satisfied that Gibbs had listened to his orders.

When he got to Decker's cabin, he opened the door without knocking. Anamaria was lying on the table asleep. Her arm had been wrapped in white gauze, but bright red blood was already beginning to soak through. Decker was studying over a medical textbook. When Jack entered the room, he removed his reading glasses and left them lying in the book. He crossed the room to meet Jack, who was already by his first mate's side. Decker gave his captain a moment before interrupting.

Jack brushed her hair away from her face with his fingertips. "I'm so sorry," he whispered under his breath. A fine layer of sweat covered her brow and Jack wiped it away with a nearby rag.

Feeling Decker's gaze upon him, he turned to the doctor. "'ow is she doing?"

Decker's face was grim. "It doesn't look good Captain. Her arm carries mostly a second-degree burn, but I believe it may be third in some places. The gunshot wound…"

Jack cut him off, "Gunshot wound?" How had he missed that? She had been hit by the bullet that she had helped him to avoid.

"Yes Captain. It caught her in the shoulder. Probably what pushed her into the fire, although it all happened at about the same time. Anyway, the bullet went straight through so that's a nice clean wound so far. If it wasn't for the risk of infection I think she'd heal fine…and she may…" Decker looked skeptical, "but I'm worried that gangrene may set in."

Jack nodded, his eyes shifting back to his wounded partner. His expression was sad and Decker marveled to see such emotion in his captain. Jack caught himself and quickly brought hardened eyes up to study the doctor.

"Do your best for 'er. Spare no expense. If you need extra ointments or medicines, we'll stop at a port to get them. She's an important part of my crew and I need her arm saved."

"I'll do my best Captain," Decker nodded, "but only time will tell if her arm will heal right. I assume she's right-handed, correct? So even if her arm doesn't heal completely, she'll still have use of her good hand."

Jack nodded, "She is right-handed, still I'd like her to have full use of both arms when she heals. I want her to be kept out of pain as much as possible. She needs to be comfortable."

"We have few pain medications aboard the ship Captain. They're an expensive lot sir. I suggest you provide her with a fair share of rum for that. She's a strong girl though. I don't think she'll show too much pain."

Jack nodded.

"She needs to be able to rest a good bit. Her body has been through a lot." Decker took the liberty to wipe the sweat from her brow this time. "You can leave her here if you want, but I wouldn't suggest putting her back in her room. It's not sanitary enough."

Jack pondered that comment before Decker continued, "That dressing on her arm is going to have to be changed frequently." He crossed the room to pick up a vial of ointment. "This," he said, handing the bottle to Jack, "will need to be reapplied at least every three hours."

Jack inspected the label and then went to open it to study its contents. The smell was terrific and he hurriedly twisted the cap back on.

Decker laughed, "It's the best thing I've got to keep the infection out."

Jack nodded, "I want her moved to my room."

Decker shot the captain a questioning look, "Captain?"

"It's probably the best place on the ship for her. She can rest in my bed. It's safe and clean and comfortable."

Decker nodded slowly, "You're right about that Captain Sparrow." He hesitated a moment. "I just don't know if that's a good idea for the crew to see."

"It's none of the crew's damned business anyway. She's my first mate and it's going to be bloody near impossible to sail without her to begin with. I want her to recover completely and quickly and if that means she needs to stay in my cabin, then that's where she'll stay."

"I understand, Captain Sparrow," Decker said softly.

The doctor spent the next hour with Jack, explaining how to apply the ointment as well as how to rewrap her arm.

"I'll come and check on her meself at least three times a day or so," Decker finished.

Jack nodded. "She'll be alright," he said, more to himself than to Decker.

The doctor began to wake the pirate girl, but Jack stopped him.

"Don't," he said, putting his hand out. "She needs her rest and I don't mind carrying her."

Jack picked her up in his arms and Decker again marveled at seeing an emotional side to the pirate. Decker opened the door for him and Jack stepped into the hallway.

"Thank you," the captain said, taking a few steps down the hall.

"Captain?" Decker called.

Jack turned to face him.

"I'm hoping for the best. I'll keep her in my prayers."

"Thank you Decker," Jack said, continuing down the hall.

As he reached his quarters, he was wondering how he was going to open the door to his cabin when he saw Mr. Gibbs coming down the hall to meet him.

"Jack!" the older man exclaimed, surprised to see him carrying the girl.

"Do me a favor man and give me a hand," Jack requested.

Gibbs did as his captain had asked and twisted the knob, pushing the door open for Jack to pass through. Jack carried Anamaria to his bed and then laid her down there. He pulled the sheets down so that he could cover her later on if she was cold, but at the moment, she was still sweating a good deal. Her eyelids fluttered and Jack thought that maybe she would awaken, but then her head rolled to the side and he knew she was still out.

Gibbs had moved across the room and was now standing by the bed, looking down on the girl. "What did Decker say?" he asked.

Jack sighed, rising and walking to sit at the large table in the center of the room. Mr. Gibbs followed his lead.

"Mostly second degree burns, but he's guessing there's a possibility of some third. It'll leave a nasty scar, but it should heal. The gunshot wound is a different story. He's worried about the potential for gangrene. She'll lose 'er whole arm if that happens." He paused for a moment, resting his head in his hands, "and it's all my fault."

"You better get it together Jack," Mr. Gibbs said, surprising him. "The crew knows Miss Anamaria is hurt, but you better not let them see it getting to you like this." He slapped Jack on the back, causing him to lift his head out of his hands and look Gibbs in the eye. "The lass will be fine, whatever may come. She's strong…be strong for her."

Jack nodded solemnly.

"Now, we took care of the Navy ship and her crewmen. They didn't have much gold on board, but what they did have we loaded into our holds before sinkin' her. The crew was a tad confused as to why you ordered those men killed when they had agreed to turn pirate. I assured them that you had good cause."

Jack groaned.

"You may want to offer some sort of explanation to them, sir. This kind of behavior has not been typical of their captain in the past."

"I don't owe anyone an explanation," Jack started, feeling his anger begin to flare again.

"No, you don't," Gibbs stopped him, "but I'm sure they would appreciate it. They respect you and your decisions, but sometimes it nice to understand them. They would also probably like to know the status of their first mate," he added, shifting his glance to the bed. "Don't be surprised if their view of the two of you changes when they find out she's recuperating in your quarters."

"Then don't let them find that out," Jack said harshly. He stood, pushing his chair back suddenly from the table. "Gather the men on deck. I'll be up shortly to speak with them."

"Aye Captain," Mr. Gibbs said, standing. "Will there be anythin' else?"

"Not at the moment," Jack dismissed him.

As Gibbs went to leave, he turned to see Jack back beside the bed, staring down at Anamaria. "She's going to be fine Jack. Just fine."

Jack studied Gibbs carefully. "I know."