A/N--I've just been contacted by both of my beta readers and they say this chapter is ready for publishing. For those of you who haven't figured it out already, I changed the name of the story. Jack and Kate wanted it to be so. Anyways...enjoy.

I would also like to officially announce that I am planning a sequel to this story. Actually, I'm planning a trilogy and a couple of one-shots. Just so you know.

Chapter 11

To Jack, it seemed that it was a tradition in this town for everyone and their uncle to hit the local pub just after sunset. He'd barely finished his evening rum special (rum with the faint hint of peach nectar) when hordes of people--farmers, butchers, carpenters, even the military--swarmed in and placed their orders. He ordered another special, fully convinced he'd need it. Much to Jack's aggravation, the military group took the table by his. He slouched in his seat and pulled his hat lower over his brow. Luckily for him, the other men didn't seem to notice his presence at all. Within minutes, one of the tavern wenches brought them their tankards with a friendly smile. The men clearly knew her, for they thanked 'Mina' for her service and offered her the empty chair at their table.

The group occupied themselves in lively conversation, and a little too loudly for Jack's taste. He nursed his rum and looked around the room, begging for any distraction at all. From what he gathered from the raucous men, they all worked at the prison and had just completed a shift. They boasted noisily about who was beaten to a bloody pulp, who was tortured for information, and who was hanged. All if it made Jack feel a little uncomfortable, so he focused instead on a couple sitting at a table by the fire.

Besides the overly talkative soldiers, these two were the most animated people in the pub. The man was ignoring his drink, choosing instead to get on his soap box and deliver a passionate speech about something to his companion. Sitting opposite him was a woman, a very beautiful woman with long curly hair that was falling out of it's loose bun. She seemed entranced by the man's lecture, for her hands were folded neatly on the table and she offered an interested grin. Jack couldn't help but think that he'd seen that grin before.

Then it dawned on him. This man and woman, the tavern setting, the woman's grin--all of it was an exact mirror image of he and Kate themselves the night they met. He had the uncontrollable urge to smile reminiscently, and did so before he had the brainpower to stop himself. These two were perfectly content to shut out the rest of the world and engulf themselves in each other's conversation, Jack noticed, just as he and Kate would for hours on end before they fell asleep every night. They didn't need the high society masquerade balls or the tavern scene...only each other. They were so happy together...

Happy like he was with Kate before today.

Jack's heart lurched. In these past eighteen years, Jack swore to himself that he wouldn't allow joy and forgotten times affect his work. Somehow, in her own cunning way, Kate had wormed herself into his heart to remind him of all the blissful moments they'd spent in each other's company. The devilish girl. He hadn't prepared himself to feel this way again, especially about her. Nothing, not even the shopping trips, the parties on deck, the beads and braids, or the naughty dreams prepared him to be confronted with this.

This being the most unwelcome realization that he was beginning to have feelings for the contemptible Miss Carrington. Feelings that he'd only ever had once, for one other woman.

That review alone gave Jack the need to drown in his rum. He lifted the tankard to his lips and drank until only the dregs remained. He'd really have to stop soon, otherwise he'd be too out of sorts to handle the operation tomorrow. Jack was resolute not to let this get the better of him. After the hanging, Jack and the crew would be far away, and Kate would be--

"--Hanged tonight!" One of the soldiers near shouted. The group of soldiers erupted in laughter and he continued, "Lieutenant Franklin handed the Carrington bird a surprise hanging this very evening!"

Jack jerked out of his contemplation and leaned forward to listen closer, his hands shaking in disbelief. They couldn't be talking about his Kate. His gut was telling him that they were, that there weren't many people in this area with the surname 'Carrington', let alone convicts.

Another of the men finished the story. "When we were leaving our posts, they were dragging the pretty little thing off to confession. Depending on how sinful the vixen is, they should be slipping that rope 'round her neck any minute!"

The freezing jolt of sheer panic swept over Jack. It was becoming more and more difficult to breathe, he noticed. The men were annoyingly discreet about the prisoner, but he didn't have time to be skeptical. He'd not planned for this. Hindsight told him he probably should have, but it was too late for that now. If they were going to go through with the operation, it had to happen now.

Jack slapped a coin on the table for his drink and darted out of the pub. The street outside was barren, only inhabited by a ghostly wind. He was half hoping that there would be people he could inquire with about his crew's whereabouts. "Of course not, they're all in the bloody pub!" Jack shouted impatiently to no one in particular.

He'd never really been one for praying, but he begged God that the rest of the crew had gotten word too. As his panic progressed, he noticed that not only was he praying, but he was engaging in another activity he seldom found himself in: running. Jack was sprinting down the abandoned street frantically searching for his men. He cursed his poor foresight. He remembered that he'd not given Gibbs any word about where to meet him after his chore; he simply assumed that his first mate would know to find him at the pub.

As if God had suddenly decided to look upon Jack with favor, Mr. Gibbs and his troop came jogging in Jack's general direction. "Jack!" Gibbs called, catching up with the captain. "We've just heard! There's been a change in--"

"I know, man!" Jack interrupted, slowing to a brisk walk and waving for the men to keep up. "Do you have the clothes?"

Gibbs proffered a stack of men's clothing--a shirt, a waistcoat, breeches, a belt, even a coat and boots. "Good," Jack praised. "I need one of your men to take them to the blacksmith's shop. You should know where it is, I paraded you in front of it countless times today. They should let you inside."

Everyone other than Jack was confused by this statement, but thought nothing of it. "Take these--" Jack pointed to about five men, "--to the sick house with you. Marty and Cotton have my orders, Mr. Gibbs, to give you the bundle they've collected." Jack reached for his sword and pistol. "You and Mousy Girl will bring it to the prison and, on my signal, perform the switch out. Everyone else is to storm the prison. The rest of you, follow me."

The crew watched as Jack resumed his run towards the prison. Gibbs split his men and sent them off, silently questioning Jack's plan. Admittedly, Gibbs was a little scared. Whenever Jack got them all involved in a crazy scheme, there was always an edge of cockiness in his voice and he handled the entire ordeal calmly. But tonight, Jack's confidence was gone and his voice was soft with raw fear. His captain was visibly and undeniably scared, something Gibbs had never encountered before. Jack was not himself, and this gave Gibbs the impression that things might just end miserably for them all tonight.

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Kate kept her eyes fixed on her feet as she walked up the wooden steps to the gallows. The clink, clink, clink of her shackles and the rhythm pounding from the drums created a haunting melody. Kate wondered how many people before her had died by the same unholy song, and who before her had noticed it. She wondered how many feet had shakily carried their bodies to this platform and how many more would follow her. Kate almost didn't want to know how many others would feel their last breeze sweep their face as they ascended to their death.

She would not allow herself to fear. As she was being escorted from the confessional to the noose, she found that she had shed all her tears and could no longer bring herself to grieve. Kate couldn't deny she'd spent as much time confessing to the priest as possible to delay her judgment, but as soon as she ran out of sins to be absolved, she was instantly at peace. She looked up at the stars above her and smiled. She only hoped that Jack, wherever he was, was pleased with himself. He deserved happiness, even if it meant her death.

A guard stood her in the center of the platform and pulled the noose around her neck. Kate lifted her eyes to see that a small crowd had gathered, most of them guards and prison workers. The few townspeople gawked at her like she were a performing gypsy, pointing and whispering about her with contempt. The beating of the drums drowned out their voices, so Kate was left to speculate what they were saying about her.

The guard who had led her up to the platform came to stand beside her as another man in an executioner's mask hobbled up the steps. Extracting a long parchment from his pocket, the guard cleared his throat and began to read. "Katherine Carrington, you are charged of murder, and according to the laws of the region in which you were charged, your right to a fair trial has been expunged, thus the sentencing of your immediate death has been favored and accordingly carried out. The list of crimes are as follows: Murder, in cold blood, most heinous; Unlawful bartering; Piracy--"

This man, along with the rest of the prison's staff, were too interested in listening to the hateful things this woman had done to notice that another notorious criminal was among them. Jack was silhouetted above the gallows and crowd, lugging a cannon behind him. His crew followed him to wait for further instruction, all crouching behind the battlements. He returned his bloodied sword to it's hilt and looked back at the men lying on the ground off to the side, too weak to cry for help. His hands were shaking nervously as he watched out over the scene.

Mr. Gibbs and Meredith were hidden from the gallery's view and caught Jack's eye. They gave Jack a signal that they were ready for his word, which calmed him deeply. Everything, as of right now, was going according to plan. He stepped behind the cannon and loaded it, giving a nod to his crew to prepare an igniter. They did so quickly and presented it to their captain. Jack took a deep breath and watched with obsessive attention.

"--of which are punishable by death," The guard continued, "and you, Katherine Carrington, are to be hung by the neck until dead, May God have mercy upon your soul."

He gave a nod to the executioner. As the masked executioner gripped the lever, a thundering drum roll erupted. Kate closed her eyes and began to utter a prayer, exactly the same time that Jack signaled to Gibbs. The lever was pulled, the trap door activated, and Kate fell through the opening just as the deafening 'BOOM' of a cannon sounded. The ammunition had collided with the gallows, sending bits of wood and metal flying all around. The entire platform collapsed. Smoke and dust filled the air, and anyone who hadn't already fled when the cannon went off began to run for their lives. No one but Jack noticed Gibbs running into the cloud of dust with Meredith and a long bundle wrapped in cloth.

Satisfied, Jack and his crew ran from the battlements, cutting down any of the random guards in their path. Below them, Gibbs and Meredith sifted through the bits of wood until they found Kate, the rope around her neck broken and fraying. She coughed and wheezed as Meredith gingerly pulled her from the wreckage. Gibbs worked to unwrap the bundle he carried, a dead woman with red hair a shade or two darker thank Kate's, and looped the nose around her neck. With the decoy buried underneath the debris, Gibbs, Meredith, and Kate ran for dear life. With all the chaos around them, they were able to escape without being noticed.

Kate breathed a sigh of relief when Meredith led them down a dark alley a few buildings over. "Thank you, Mr. Gibbs...Meredith," Kate uttered gratefully. Gibbs politely held a finger to his lips, urging the ladies to remain quiet until they were joined by Jack and the rest of the crew. A short while later, Jack found them. Kate was overjoyed to see him, but had no time to revel in her happiness, for he barked an urgent "No time for dallying!" before grabbing her arm and dragging her off into the streets. Everyone followed as Jack led them to the blacksmith shop. He pounded anxiously on the door, and a few seconds later were greeted by Jack's muscular crewmen. They barely had time to register who was at the door before Jack ushered Kate inside.

"Time is of the essence here, children, so let's make this quick. Where's William?" The rest of the crew hurried inside while Jack searched the room for Will. He found him sulking in a corner, looking none too happy. Will came forward and crossed his arms. "Now's not the time for grudges, boy. Remove her shackles."

Will furrowed his brows and turned to see Kate. His eyes lit up with excitement and relief. "Kate!" He rushed to her and wrapped her in his arms. "I'm so glad you're safe!" He whispered, hugging her to him. Kate laughed and nuzzled his chest.

"Sometime today would be grand, Will," Jack interjected.

Will removed himself from Kate reluctantly and brought her over to the workspace. Everyone waited patiently as Will worked to detach the shackles from Kate's wrists and ankles. Once they were gone, and after Kate had given Will a proper hug, Jack proffered the men's clothing that Gibbs had gathered earlier. "Here. Put these on." Kate took them with confusion. Jack amended. "No one should recognize you in those."

Kate did as she was told and excused herself into the adjacent room. She was thankful to be out of that old dirty frock, although the alternative clothes weren't much better. They were obviously second hand, but Kate decided she didn't have room to argue or complain.

Raised voices came from the other room, and from what Kate could tell, it was Will and Jack arguing. She figured that if she hurried, she might be able to prevent bloodshed. Slipping on her new boots and jacket, Kate quickly braided her hair and tucked the plait inside her clothes. She opened the door and everyone went quiet. It appeared that Jack had sent most of the crew back to the ship, leaving her with only a silent group made up of Jack, Will, Meredith, and Mr. Gibbs. "Don't tell me I look that bad," she mumbled sheepishly.

Jack stepped forward to examine her for a quick appraisal. He nodded with approval. "You look good. Her hat, please." A black tri-corn hat was passed forward into Jack's hands. He placed it on her head, almost as if this were her coronation, adjusting it so it was straight. "There. Now you look even better, like a proper pirate." A hint of a smile graced his face.

Will cleared his throat, snapping Jack back into reality. "Right," Jack croaked, "Everyone to the ship."

Under the cover of total darkness, the rest of the Pearl'screw fled to the docks and boarded the ship. Kate's disguise worked perfectly; three soldiers ran past her without a second look. The crew erupted with cheers and whistles as Kate boarded, causing her to blush modestly. Jack gave orders to shove off, and within minutes, the Black Pearl was sailing into the night.

Cheers continued and several bottles of rum had already been broken out in celebration. The realization that all was well and everyone was safe set in, giving Jack reason to beam at Kate with utter happiness. They enveloped each other in a frantic embrace, holding on to each other in fear that the other might disappear the moment they let go. Happy cheers continued from the crew, but neither Jack or Kate seemed to notice. Jack pulled back far enough to look her in the eye. He leaned in towards her slowly, though completely taken aback by what happened instead.

Kate had freed one of her arms and reared it back as far it could go, summoning all her strength before bringing it back to swiftly slap Jack across the face. The cheers stopped abruptly and everyone stared in shock. A light round of applause from Will and Meredith prompted a few others to join in, feeling Kate was justified in her assault. Jack was silent for several moments before rotating his jaw bone, turning back to Kate and snickering in her face.

"Katie, it's only fair to let you know that I've been slapped so many times by so many women, it's almost like it doesn't effect me anymore. In fact, darling, I almost didn't feel that--"

Jack was too busy delivering his taunt to realize Kate had reared back once again, this time forming a fist with her hand. The blow landed square in his nose, cutting him off from speaking. He stumbled backwards from the impact and the entire crew joined into a riotous applause and cheers. Though no one would say it to his face, the entire crew felt that Jack got what he deserved. Kate shook her hand, throbbing with it's own pain. She huffed and stood over Jack, who was dabbing blood from his nose.

"You treacherous dog!" Kate was struggling not to sob, "You--you h-heartless beast! I trusted you! I--" Kate began to feel a little overwhelmed and swatted at the hot tears that began to spill over her eyelids. "But thankfully, I've learned my lesson. I shall be more vigilant next time with my affections towards you."

Kate turned on her heel and disappeared below deck. The crew stood around awkwardly until Jack snapped at them to go to their stations. He retrieved a scrap of cloth from his pocket, a makeshift handkerchief, and held it to his nose until the bleeding stopped. Jack was surprised that it wasn't broken, as hard as Kate had hit him. He sighed dolefully. She had every right to be angry, there was no question. He folded the cloth and returned it to his pocket before setting off for the galley. He was going to make this right.

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A/N: HA HA HA HA! Jack HAD a plan, as always. You all can't honestly say that you DOUBTED him! Once again, if anyone has any questions, comments, concerns, that's what reviews and email are for. I'm looking forward to hearing from you! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far!