Once aboard Teach's ship, the Beast's Heart, Annabelle and her children were led to quarters at the lowest level of ship. It was dark, damp, and smelled strongly of saltwater and body odor. Jacob was put in another cabin, as far as possible from his family. Annabelle suspected they'd broken a few of his ribs, based on the way he was holding himself when they were brought aboard. Lily lay in Annabelle's lap, trembling and sniffling. Joseph sat one of the small cots Teach had stuffed in the room, staring blankly at the wall, lost in thought. Roisin was lying on her side next to him, turned away from them all. Her long light brown hair was a tangled waterfall down her back.

"I'm sorry," Annabelle told them all. "I'm so sorry, this is all my fault."

Joseph opened his mouth to speak, but as he did, the door to the cabin opened. The same rusty haired, scarred man that had collected Joseph from Mary and Roisin's bedroom entered, holding small tin plates of food and three flagons of water. Dried meat and mashed potatoes, gone slightly ripe from the look of them. Joseph turned his nose up at the food, causing the man to laugh.

"Too good for it, yeh lil whelp?" he asked sarcastically, still chuckling as he exited the room.

Annabelle remembered a time years ago when she'd had this meal for days on end, and how accustomed she'd become to it. As she scooped a bite of the potatoes into her mouth, she could feel herself, her old self, the one who'd sailed the high seas with pirates, coming back. She gently coaxed some food into Lily, who soon fell asleep against Annabelle's skirt. Joseph reluctantly took a few bites before lying down himself. Roisin made no sign that she would eat, so no coaxing was attempted. Annabelle leaned up against the wall, cradling her daughter in her arms. Her eyes were beginning to weigh down, her mind beginning to become fuzzy and unfocused…

The door opened, and her eyes fluttered opened, surprised. It was Tommy, his greasy blonde rattail and all. He glared at her for a moment, and then, clearing his voice said, "The Cap'n requests your presence."

Annabelle rose groggily, careful not to wake her daughter in the process, and followed the man out of the room. She was led upstairs to the Captain's quarters which, as she expected, were much better kept than the rest of the vessel. The burgundy walls blocked the incoming light of the now rising sun, and sheer curtains of the same color draped the rather plush bed in the corner. Teach sat at a beautifully carved desk, boots rested on top of it, smoking a pipe. Annabelle stifled a cough as she breathed the rancid smoke.

Teach turned his head to face her, his pale blue eyes scrutinizing her appearance. He took another puff from him pipe before speaking.

"Yeh look a mess, m'lady," he said casually, his gruff voice scraping her ears.

"And this has to do with what?" she asked indignantly. "My family and I have been kidnapped by pirates! You can't really expect me to look very presentable under the present circumstances."

"I need yeh in the best condition possible for Captain Sparrow when we find 'im. I need to be sure he'll be seduced by yeh when the time is right."

"I assure you, he's seen me in much worse conditions than this, and it did not phase him in the slightest." Annabelle replied, annoyed.

"Ah, but I'll take no chances," Teach said, rising from his seat and walking towards a small dresser next to his bed. He pulled out a rather wrinkled pale blue gown. Its neckline was rather low, and it looked tight fitting. Annabelle cringed at the thought of wearing it.

"Yeh'll be wearin' this until we meet our dear Captain Sparrow," he said in a cheery tone, throwing the dress at Annabelle. She caught it, flustered.

"Yeh can leave now," Teach dismissed her with a wave of his hand. Tommy, who'd been standing quite patiently, reached for her, a greedy look on his long face.

Annabelle ripped arm away from the man-boy's grasp. "I can manage just fine!" she snapped, walking briskly from the room and back to her children and Roisin.

All of them were asleep. Lily must have woken and moved, because all three of the children lay huddled together in a group. Their faces were strained and white, even in sleep. Lily and Roisin's breaths were watery gasps, and Annabelle's heart ached for them. She threw Teach's gown into the corner of the small, damp cabin and laid down next to her children. She fell into an empty, dreamless sleep.

"Get up!" a voice snapped.

Annabelle started for a moment. She looked around, dazed and confused. Where was she? What had happened? She could feel the room rocking gently, and smell the tang of salt water. The previous night's events rushed back to her, and she curled up into a ball, absorbing the pain.

"I said, get up yeh lousy wretch!" the voice came again.

Annabelle looked up, and her eyes focused on the rusty haired man that had fed them earlier.

Annabelle groaned, forcing herself to waken. She squinted up at the man for a moment.

"What is it?" she asked sleepily, stretching her muscles and sitting up.

"We're making port, and the Cap'n wants yeh to come. 'E don't want yeh on the ship by yerself." the man grunted, turning away from her.

"Wait!' she called, and the man turned around, sighing and rolling his eyes.

"Wut is it?"

'Where are we making port?"

The man grinned, revealing rather clean teeth for a pirate.

"Tortuga, ma'am. I trust yeh know where tha' is."

The man turned lazily on his heel and left the room, leaving Annabelle's head spinning in fear. She looked toward the pastel blue gown in the corner, and knew what she was to do. She quietly slipped it on, and tiptoed upstairs. She politely knocked on Teach's cabin door before entering. It was best to stay on this man's good side; after all, he held her family's life in the balance. She found the Captain conversing in hushed tones with the same man who had wakened her. He nodded curtly, and casting her a rather sour look, was dismissed.

"I should probly have introduced yeh to the crew," Teach said gruffly, leaning against his dark wooden desk. "Tha' there was Rutherford Morrow-or Rusty, as we call 'im."

How fitting. Annabelle thought wryly. She pressed forward with her questioning.

"Excuse me, Captain Teach? I'd like to know why I'm to come with you when we port?" she tried to ask as timid as possible, so as to not agitate the man.

"I'll not take a chance that yeh'll try to make an escape, lass," Teach replied simply, a withered hand stroking his chin.

"I swear to you, on my family's lives, I will not attempt such a thing," Annabelle said, her voice taking a rather unwanted desperate note. "All I ask is that I may stay in a room with my husband until you are finished with your business. Please?"

Teach looked at her doubtfully for a moment, "I don't think-"

"Based on the condition he was in when we boarded this vessel, I doubt that we'll be able to attempt any sort of escape." Annabelle cut him off, and she found herself toying with a tangled auburn curl while she waited for a response.

Teach cast her a warning look. "I'll allow it, but I swear, if any funny business gets about around here-yeh'll be payin' dearly."

Annabelle nodded quickly and moved to the door, eager to move her children closer to their father.

"Oh, and Lady Montel?" Teach added, causing her to pause at the latch. "As an extra collateral, I think I'll be takin' your boy with me."