Freedom's Slave

This chapter's for 'Yours Truly' for giving me such great ideas, and having a very weird conversation with me about the slashyness of Orli. And for Nicole, well, just to keep her from killing me right now.

Pookie: Mmm....junk food....*snaps out of it* Anyway, Will and Ana's part will be told in a different manner, but still told. ;)

cneko: Hi! I don't mind long reviews and lots of smiles, lets me know I'm doin' ~something~ right. ~.^ My writing style tends to be pretty simple when I'm experimenting with a new fandom or idea, so by the time I get this one done, I should have a good enough hold on the characters to add in more complex detail and language. Eh, I hate it when people demonize Elizabeth too, or Ana, I love them both! The parrot(and monkey) on the other hand, annoy the hell out of me. Though I think the monkey is more of a creepy factor. Oh look! I can ramble! As for action, I'm not that good with that, so I'd deffinately appreciate any suggestions! *huggles and a cute lolly*

ShadowSpirit: I think the last chapter (hell, I think every chapter) could've been improved. I didn't think it's really IC for Jack to cry, so I just made him turn it into anger. ;) I like Yu-Gi-Oh, but I'm not too sure about reading any fics of it. I just can't see the yaoi with it. Well, maybe...

SwordsNSparrow:*grimaces* Far from brilliant to me, but people seem to like it so...*shrugs* Jack is getting hard to write, I don't know how he'd act in grief, hope I'm getting close to it.

Sandrine Black: *patpats* Try witing with a bat either hanging above you or flying around.

Insane Pineapple: Eh, I gave up on A/L a long time ago. After all, how many Elves does the King of Gondor need?!

Natalie: PotC is circa 16th century. And here's more!

Datiye: Luck? Luck is for the weak! Please keep saying it... Yeah, poor Bootstrap, but even worse for Jack after this chapter.

Earen: They'll get longer as the plot progresses.

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Anamaria frowned as she gingerly cleaned one of Will's healing wounds. With the crew on deck and her volunteering for cooking duty, Anamaria had made sure to double check the newest lash marks that she had been unable to treat before boarding the Pearl.

"Does it still hurt?" she asked quietly, unsure if any of the other crew members would be near enough to hear.

Will shook his head, "It's fine. Really, Ana, you don't have to worry so much."

"Yeso,"o," she sighed and wrung out the remaining water from the damp cloth she had used. "No one else has seen them, have they?"

"Jack had a glimpse, but nothing more."

Anamaria frowned and Will cut her off before she could say anything. "I don't need you to protect me."

"You did."

Sighing, Will pulled his shirt back on. He turned on the bunk where they were sitting and was about to say something when Gibbs and Jack walked in. Anamaria frowned at being interupted.

"Here you two are," Jack said, grinning. He tugged at Will's arm, "C'mon, lad, you might as well see how we get the Pearl out of port."

Will stood, silencing Anamaria with a look and following Jack out. Frustrated, the woman pushed passed Gibbs and decided to start on the small lunch the crew would be having. Gibbs came up to her.

"Ye shouldn't worry, lass. Jack's a good man. Wouldn't hurt the boy."

Anamaria snorted, "I've heard that before, but I'm not goin' to start believin' it."

"Just what happened?"

Anamaria sighed, "I don't want to talk about it."

"Yer goin' t' have to, lass. Keep your mind off of the lad for now."

Anamaria frowned, "Fine. I met Will two years ago; just after I had been captured from a merchant ship I was on. I was put with Will, he helped me, an' we became friends."

Gibbs gave her a wry look, "There's more to it than that, ain't there?"

"No."

"I'll go t' the boy, Ana. An' he doesn't seem inclined t' not tell."

She narrowed her eyes and slammed the metal plate she had just taken out onto the wooden 'counter'. "You want to know what happened?! Fine. I was the cause of a lot of his pain. When we first met, he stopped three slavers from raping me, and took the punishment for it."

Gibb's eyes widened, "They didn't-"

"No. Just beat him. Badly," Anamaria let her voice calm, taking several deep breaths. "Even after that, the damn whelp did everything he could to keep those bastards from doing something to me. He was almost broken when I met him, Gibbs, and because of me, I thought he would be."

The woman studied the cracked wood she was leaning on, "I owe him. And I'm not about to let some damn pirate hurt him."

Gibbs studied Anamaria, "Jack's od mod man, lass. I've told ye that much. An' Jack's not the kind t' go an' hurt the son of a friend."

"So that 'Bootstrap' person, was Will's father?"

"Aye. He died: murdered. Jack didn't know 'bout young Will, even though we went t' London t' break th' news t' Bootstrap's wife."

Gibbs started to find some of the heavily salted meat, figuring that it would be best to use some of it before getting out to sea, where fish was always on the menu. "A lot o' guilt for poor Jack on that matter. Took too long t' get t' London, and found Bootstrap's wife dead. Poor lass, pretty young thing. Never found Will there, I thought 'e was dead too, from the state oe hoe ho"
"

Anamaria was interested now, "What happened?"

"Will never told ye?"

Anamaria shook her head, grimacing at the dried meat, dropping the pieces Gibbs had cut into one of the pots with a helping of the fresh water and the man made sure to add a bit of rum. "Well, th' place was burnt. No proof it was samesame bastard that killed Bootstrap, but I bet my last flask o' rum that it was 'im."

"And Will?"

"Didn't see 'im. Thought 'e was dead too, so didn't bother t' tell Jack. Poor soul had more than enough guilt on 'is mind."

Anamaria snorted, lighting the stove. "A pirate feelin' guilty?"

Gibbs frowned, "You'd be best holdin' yer tongue, lass. Jack an' Bootstrap were great friends, the very best. An' Jack had watched Bootstrap die, and then couldn't keep the promise t' look out for his friend's family."

As the water on the stove boiled, Anamaria tried to fit her mind around the story. After a few minutes, she broke the silence between her and Gibbs. "I still don't trust 'im."

***********

Jack grinned at the sight of Will starting to accept lessons in sailing from other crew members. It wasn't long before Will had gotten bored with Matelot's stories in broken english and Jack waved him back up to the bridge.

"You're a fast learner, lad."

Will smiled and Jack winced at the similarity between the boy and Bootstrap. Jack slipped the loop of rope by the wheel over one of the handles and put an arm around Will's shoulders. He noted that the boy never seemed to mind the contact, taking it in stride.

"Hungry, Will?"

The captain frowned at the nod in response. "A fast learner, maybe. But too quiet. Talk, boy! There must be somethin' on your mind."

"You said you'd tell me about my father."

"Aye, that I did," Jack said, maintaining his smile. "If you want, I can tell you some o' our adventures o'er lunch."

Will frowned, "I told Ana-"

"She can always come too," Jack interupted. "Just as long as she doesn't try t' kill me, it's fine."

Will grinned, "I can make no guarantee."

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Eh, crappy. This was supposed to be out twelve hours ago, but the weather turned bad and told me to go to bed by shutting off the power for six hours.

I have three different endings planned for this fic, and rather than choose between them, I'm going to post all three. One of them makes the story go on for a bit longer, so I'll be putting them as different stories. About two to three chapters. The thread right now is going to have the happy ending. Then there's a not so happy ending. And then there's the ending where I'm going to go into hiding for a few years so you people don't kill me. ;)