A/N: Ahoy there mateys. At the moment, my Internet is not working so I could only get on just briefly enough to post this chapter. My apologies that I cannot personally thank each of my reviewers this time. You know I love all of you and I love reading your reviews so keep 'em coming.

Drink up me hearties, Yo Ho!

Chapter Thirty-Six

For the next three days, Jack prepared The Black Pearl for their upcoming voyage and for the next three nights, he stayed with Elizabeth, telling her stories of the sea and his adventures. It was an enjoyable mixture. Despite the rain, it was nice to prepare for heading out to sea again and after a hard day's work, it was even better to have someone to sit down with who enjoyed his company.

On the day that Anamaria had specified he meet her back on his ship, she sat waiting in his cabin. They had both put out the word that The Black Pearl and The Sea Wench were going on the account, but less than half of the crews that they normally sailed with had actually shown up. Anamaria was worried and Jack was nowhere to be found.

The thought crossed her mind to leave him. He knew better than this. They always set out at dawn. Both ship's crews were anxiously waiting to set sail and their "commodore" hadn't been seen since yesterday afternoon. It was a bad impression to place on the men this early in the voyage. She could take both crews and sail out on The Sea Wench. It would give her an adequate crew for the difficult conditions they were about to face and it would put her in charge in their eyes, but for reasons unbeknownst even to herself, she found she couldn't do it.

Almost an hour after she had first let herself into Jack's cabin, the captain finally straggled in with Elizabeth in tow. He was a bit taken aback upon seeing her sitting at his desk, her boot clad feet resting on his maps, but he ignored it.

"Ready to make sail?" he asked.

"Am I ready to make sail?" she repeated. "That's a fine question for me Jack. Where the hell have you been? We've been ready to make sail for near two hours now. I almost left you behind."

Jack seemed surprised, "But I'm right here."

"We've never left this late before. The crews showed up at dawn. How do you think it looks for them to see you coming in at such a late hour and with a girl following behind?" she snapped.

"Everyone knows why Elizabeth is here so let's not make out as if that's what this is about. We'll drop her off and then be on our way," Jack said, shooing at her feet with his hand. "I've been studying the maps and I've come up with a perfect sailing route to take her right to Charles Town and then head down and over towards Madagascar."

He leaned over the maps to begin tracing the route he had ever so carefully plotted out.

"Are you daft? Have you even looked up at the sky? It's still raining cats and dogs here and it's headed north. We can't sail towards Charles Town, it would be suicide."

Jack raised an eyebrow.

"We'll have to take her with us," Anamaria said, clearly unhappy with the situation.

"I thought we discussed that wasn't safe," he argued.

Elizabeth had been hovering quietly in the background, but she stepped forward now, "I'd love to go."

Both pirates turned harsh eyes on her.

"It's not your decision," Jack stated.

"You could leave her here, let her sell her services," she suggested, taking the young girl in with her eyes.

"Anamaria," Jack scolded.

The lady pirate turned hardened eyes back to her former captain, "But if the lass wants to come, if she thinks she can hold her own, you might as well bring her with us so you can keep an eye on her."

Jack didn't respond and Anamaria stood. "It's going to be a long voyage, I suppose she's better than a cabin boy for filling your bed." Turning to Elizabeth she added, "I hope you know how to keep him happy. He can be terribly…"

Jack grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him so that she could smell the strange lack of rum on his breath. "I warned you," he said, his voice a low grumble.

"Forceful when he doesn't get what he wants," Anamaria finished, despite the tight grip he had on her arm.

"Jack!" Elizabeth said, stepping forward.

Anamaria pulled her arm free and turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Jack asked.

"I'm going to make sail Captain Sparrow. Are you going to set out with us or are you not?" she asked, pulling the door shut behind her in a slam that echoed through his cabin.

He was two steps behind her when he felt Elizabeth's hand on his arm.

"Jack?"

"Don't," he warned. "You're lucky enough to 'ave made it onboard. If you want to stay you better prove you can be a useful part of me crew. I suggest ye be on deck when I give the orders."

The Sea Wench cut anchor and unfurled her sails before The Black Pearl, but Jack's crew wasn't far behind. Since they weren't following his original plans he assumed Anamaria had mapped her own route and it annoyed him. He was the commodore and his ship should be the one in the lead, not hers. Was she actually challenging his authority?

Jack gave the crew and then his first mate, Mr. Gibbs, orders and went to his cabin to map his own route. He had half expected to see Elizabeth there, but she wasn't and he was glad she was following his orders. He had asked her to spend the day mending sails, but had been unsure of whether she would actually follow through or not. From the looks of it, she actually was and he wondered if she might pull her weight after all.

Sitting down at his desk to study his maps and charts, he noticed a handwritten letter from Anamaria. She had charted their course and left him detailed notes. Jack smiled. So she hadn't been trying to challenge his authority. She had still given him the power to be in control. He felt bad for rough handling her in their recent argument.

Anamaria was sitting in her own cabin, thinking of their latest disagreement as well. Why did she get into a fight with Jack almost every time she saw him these days? And this time, he had actually grabbed her, had put his hands on her like a common sailor who had been out of line. Of course, she realized she had been out of line. She was the one who always initiated the fights between them. It should have been business between them on a day like today and she had turned it personal. She had been the one to make inappropriate comments.

In fact, ever since Elizabeth had come onboard, she had made inappropriate comments. So it really should have come as no surprise that her commodore had finally grown tired of listening to her mouth and laid his hands on her. Had he still been her captain, it would have most likely come even sooner. As a sailor, she should have been prepared for the commodore's response, except she hadn't been. For not too long ago, he had been more than her commodore or her captain.

Was that what was really going on here? Was she letting her feelings get in the way of her pirating? Did she even really have feelings for Jack? Sure, she cared about him. They had been there for each other for too long, had had each other's backs from the start. Everything else had just been fun. The timing had been right. They had discussed that so many times. They were both in love with the sea and she was the only one they would ever allow to lay claim to their hearts.

The distance had begun when she had gotten her own ship and both captains had seen it coming. They spent less time together on land, developed different friends, different drinking taverns, but it wasn't until Elizabeth had shown up that they had begun to fight.

Why did Anamaria have it out for Elizabeth? Jack wondered. The poor girl had lost her husband and her only child and had gone from being a member of Port Royal's wealthiest society to being a crewmember on a pirate ship in only several years time. He had believed the two would bond in the beginning, but that theory had quickly been disproved. Elizabeth had been polite, sociable, but Anamaria had been nothing but nasty, a hellcat with her claws out at every opportunity.

He had not thought his former first mate could be so cruel. He had seen her smiling that night in the tavern when the drunk had asked Elizabeth about her services. He had seen her chuckle as Jack tried to defend her, but her smile had quickly faded when her own skills had been questioned. He had been the first to join in a brawl on her behalf, but it seemed as if it had meant nothing to her. She had jumped to her own defense and when it was all said and done, it had been Captain Aquino's side she had rushed to, not his own.

No, Anamaria almost shouted, practically laughing out loud at the thought as it entered her mind. It was ridiculous! And yet, it did make all those fights with Jack make sense. It wasn't possible though, not really. Was it? She had never let anyone get to her like that. It would have been a weakness and she didn't have those. Not large noticeable ones like that at least. Well, there was her arm, but it wasn't a weakness anymore. She had learned to live with it.

She tried to make herself laugh again, but it was a failed attempt and it sounded false in her own ears. She bounced the thought back and forth and back and forth. She was so bloody moody these days. She supposed it was all the stress she had placed on herself planning this particular trip. The lack of any real support from Jack, not that she could blame him. Setting sail at this time of year might truly be a fool's errand and yet waiting had not been an option for her. She had to leave now; even the few days they had waited had put a strain on her. She didn't understand her desires these days. She was completely confused, but she knew this voyage was what she needed, was what she had to do. It was her destiny.

The realization began to set on her as a knock came at her door and Braden entered.

"Captain," he nodded, "Nuri sent me to let you know that the rain has stopped and The Black Pearl is following. She's flying the French flag. Did you want us to raise the French colors as well?"

Anamaria nodded. "That will be fine. Let her pull ahead if she tries to pass. She's our flagship so she should be in the lead."

"Aye Captain," Braden answered. " Is everything alright? You seem a bit pale. You're not getting sick on us, are you?"

"Of course not. I'm fine," she answered. "Just a little tired, that's all."

"Nuri seems to have things under control if you want to lie down for a while. With the weather just clearing up it should be smooth sailing for some time."

"Thank you Braden," she replied. "I'll consider getting some rest."

Braden nodded, "Don't work yourself too hard Cap'n."

Anamaria let out a sigh as he left. The sky was still dark from the cloud cover and she was glad the lit candles seemed to mask her emotions so well. Braden had not commented that her eyes had been filled with tears and she had done a good job of keeping them in place while they had been talking. However, as soon as he left, the first of several slipped over her cheek. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but she knew now that it must be true.

She was in love. And it was that love that had led her on this mission, this seemingly impossible voyage across the Atlantic in the middle of hurricane season. The only problem was that she had talked Jack into coming with her.

Ahhh, I'm evil, aren't I? Could I have been more vague? I would love to know what my faithful readers are thinking at this point. So she's in love, eh? With who? Captain Aquino? Commodore Jack Sparrow? Her first mate Nuri? Did I blur the line enough? Hmmm…the possible twists and turns. Yes, I love to keep you all guessing.