Mouse
by PineappleIce

Chapter One

"Miss Archer. You're on time, sweetness."

She stared at her feet. She was trembling, not from the bitter cold, but from fear. But she had to do this. It was her responsibility. She cleared her throat and tried to speak, but heard only a terrified squeak leave her lips. She had never been any good at things like this. Her brothers Sebastian and Victor had called her Mouse since they were children.

"Miss Archer." Thomas Dalton's voice was hard and impatient. "I'm a busy man, sweetness. I don't have time to listen to your squeaking... unless, of course, you're here to accept my proposal?"

She looked up then, into the cold blue eyes of the tall man before her. He was leaning casually against the wall, half-smirking at his own comment. Beside him, two of his mindless, muscular men leered down at her, amused. She swallowed, noticing a painful lump that seemed to have risen in her throat. "No," she said in a shaking voice. "I haven't."

It was hot in the tavern and the air was thick and heavy. The breasts of the barmaids, swelling out of their tight dresses, were gleaming with sweat, their foreheads damp and their noses shining. It was hard to remember that it was ice-cold outside in the streets of Port Lemoni.

The atmosphere at one table in the corner was tense and uncomfortable. William Turner, sat beside Jack, was clearly tensed, one hand curled around his drink, the other resting on the hilt of his sword. Jack managed to grin widely, though his eyes were following every slight movement of the muscular man sitting opposite him.

"So," Jack said lightly, "what say we play a game of cards for that map, Captain Hart?"

"I've come to make a request of you."

Thomas Dalton laughed, looking at his men. "You hear that, lads? Katherine Archer wants to make a request of me!" The men chortled dutifully, and Dalton looked back at her cruelly. "I owe you nothing." Without warning, he slapped her with such force she was knocked off her feet.

She reached up and felt her split lip. She could taste blood, bitter on her tongue, and felt tears welling up in her eyes. She had landed in a cold puddle of water.

"So... what is it you want, sweetness?" Dalton asked. When she didn't reply, he kicked her hard beneath the chin, forcing her to look up. "Answer me!"

"My brother..." she begged, hot tears rolling down her cheeks. "Please, Thomas-"

That earned her a hard kick in the ribs and she rolled over, coughing. "You have no right to call me that!"

"Mr Dalton," she implored, closing her eyes. "Please, please leave my brothers alone." As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew they were useless, and she sobbed out loud.
"Now, look, mate, yer lost fair and square," Jack insisted, standing up to face the seething Captain Hart.

Hart bared his green teeth and Jack couldn't help but frown in disgust. Then Hart drew his sword. "I'm not parting with the map, Sparrow."

"I'm afraid you are," Will said grimly, also rising from his seat. The greasy man accompanying Hart growled at him.

Jack pulled out his pistol and pointed it at Hart. "I don't want to have to use this."

"I'm not parting with the map, you feckless lump!" Hart had out his own pistol and was pointing it at Will, grinning evilly. It was obvious he would enjoy shooting it.

Katherine Archer pushed open the door of the Sandy Wench with fingers numb from the cold, her mind blank apart from the thought that she had to reach her brothers.

"Sebastian," she murmured, looking around the tavern. One of her eyes was badly swollen, she realised. "Victor..."

Jack fired the pistol at the same moment as Hart's companion grabbed his wrist and pushed it to one side. The gun went off loudly and a girl screamed. Vaguely thinking that everything had gone completely wrong, Jack watched as Hart turned, distracted, towards the scream.

Jack grabbed the chair he had been sitting in and hit Hart around the head with it, watching as he fell, out cold, to the floor. He grinned and bent down, searching the fallen pirate's pockets for the treasure he desired. He heard Will punch Hart's man and heard the second thud of a man hitting the floor.

"Got it," Jack grinned, holding the folded sheet of parchment. He realised Will had disappeared into the panicking crowd. "William, come on- it's time to make our departure, I think."

He grabbed his hat from the table, ready to go, when he heard Will calling for him. Jack spotted him, kneeling by a figure on the floor, his face white.

Jack went over, feeling a little numb. "You shot her," Will said blankly, staring in horror at the girl's face. "Look at the state of her..."

It was obvious she had taken a beating. Her lip was badly bust. There was already bruising around her swollen eye. Purple marks on her throat suggested she had been strangled. Jack swallowed. "Those marks rather pale into insignificance in light of... that, mate..." He gestured towards the rapidly growing circle of blood near her stomach.

"I can't believe you shot her," Will said.

"You shot her?" A hard, angry voice came from behind Jack, and the next thing he knew a fist had collided with the side of his head, sending him to the floor. He looked up into a dark face framed by thick black hair.

Will was on his feet ready to defend Jack, but another, smaller man had appeared behind the assailant, placing one hand on his shoulder. "Leave it, Sebastian. Look at her..." There were tears rolling down this man's face, and he knelt beside the girl.

"Victor," she choked out, and Jack was surprised she was speaking.

"It's okay, Mouse, I'm here," the man called Victor said, taking her hand.

Jack pushed himself to his feet, looking uncertainly at the man called Sebastian. Sebastian looked as though he would like to hit Jack again, but then the girl choked out his name as well, and he too fell to his knees beside her, stroking her hair.

"Perhaps we should leave," Jack said to Will.

"And go where?" Sebastian shouted from the floor. "For if she doesn't make it, I'm going to find you, and I'm going to kill you!"

Jack blinked, defiant. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, mate, and I'm terribly sorry about your... whatever she is to you, however-"

"Wait!" Victor stood up, looking hard at Jack. "Captain Jack Sparrow? Perhaps there is something you can do for us... to help my sister."

Jack stared at him; up close it was clear he was only about fifteen. There were still tears on his cheeks and it was hard to refuse him help. Reluctantly, Jack replied, "What is it, mate?"

"Take us with you."

"What?"

"We need somewhere to go; we aren't safe here. My brother and I will work hard, and you must have someone who can help... help Katherine." Victor sighed sadly. "Please."

Jack exhaled slowly. This was mad. It was crazy. Somehow, that made it almost appealing. He glanced behind them, towards Captain Hart, who was still out cold. "We leave now, if you're comin'," he said briskly, catching the startled expression in Will's eyes and shrugging.