(Bonus Chapter)

Scarlett sat looking out to the sea from the deck just above the first story of the manor, her mother had insisted that she keep her feet up for the health of the unborn child, not that she was sure she believed every word her mother said. Thanks to her own kindness though she had managed to send out a few of her most trusted people into the world, to find the truth. One to find Johnny's wearabouts and the other to find out what they could about her mother before she married her father. It was a risk true but she felt like she needed to know.

Her sister was out with her new husband doing some business she didn't really want to know about. Sighing, she stood up and decided she could at least walk the deck. A woman then walked up to her and handed her a message then quickly dashed off. Opening the message she hoped would give her some good news. It gave her news and a location.

'He's in Belithe and about to be hung because he was sticking his nose into your mother's business, searching for you with nothing but a description and a name.'

She knew she had to act quickly, Belithe was less than a day away and all she had to do was convince her mother she needed something from there. Not the easiest task but she smiled as she thought of a plan, all she had to do was hope it would work.

Within a few hours the carriage was packed, she had told her mother there was a midwife there famous for the work she had done and she wanted to meet with her and hire her for when the time came. Her mother had started packing before she finished the last sentence. Riding in the carriage, it made her think of the ride that started all of this mess. Though it had also made her a temporary mermaid, she met her pirate. Not helping it, she grinned at the thought.

It was nearly noon the next day by the time they arrived, after asking a few women where the midwife was, Scarlett told her mother she needed to rest and of course her mother believed her and went to talk to the midwife herself.

This was the opportunity, she quickly made her way to the jails and she knew she had to act just as properly as her sister would in this situation. The guard looked down at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I am looking for a pirate named Johnny, he dared to come looking for my sister. I want to see him before he is hung, my mother is the one paying you, let me pass. " she demanded.

The guard shrugged figuring he had nothing better to do. He opened the door and led her down the steps to the cell where men called out to her, saying words that would make the devil blush. They stopped at a cell where there was a man sitting in the barred window looking out to the ocean.

"Oy! You got a visitor!" the guard called out then turned and walked back up the stairs.

Johnny turned around slowly confused as to who in the world would be visiting him in jail of all places. The minute he saw her take off her hat and reveal her long red hair, he jumped down and rushed right to the barred door, he held onto the bars as he looked upon her. Unknown to him the baby he had left with her thanks to her long dress and the fact she was not showing yet.

"Where have you been? I've been searching for you since that island." he said as he reached his hand out through the cold metal bars and caressed her cheek.

"Yes and because of that my mother is having you hung, Johnny I can't let that happen, I'll get you out of here but...you can't come searching for me again, for your own safety." she said as she held his hand on her cheek. "She won't stop, if she thinks that you would come after me I know she would kill you."

"What about you? What about wanting your freedom and life away from all that?" he asked her as he put his hand under her chin and gently held her face up to look at him. "You cannot tell me you will truly be happy in a gilded cage."

"I have something in the works, you have to trust me, until you are sent for, don't come looking for me. Please Johnny do this for me." she begged as she looked at him with tears in her eyes. "You are the first person in the world who showed me any kindness, saved me from a curse, you mean more to me from just one night than my entire family had my whole life. Please trust me Johnny."

There was just enough room through the bars that she was able to lean in and give him one long and loving kiss. Then just as quickly as she arrived, she turned and left holding the skirts of her dress up so she wouldn't trip. Johnny watched completely gobsmacked as she retreated from him.

"You gonna listen lad?" one of the other prisoners called out to him.

He groaned and just leaned against the steel bars. How could he listen to her? Why should he not listen to her though? She could have turned him in that morning when her sister and brother came and got her but she didn't.

"I suppose I have no choice." he mumbled.

Scarlett handed the man a bag full of money to replace Johnny with someone else though her heart felt heavy doing so. The guard smiled and nodded, taking the bag and placing it inside his pocket.

"You have my word my lady.'' the guard said with a slight bow.

Three days had passed and finally the guard's letter had finally gotten to her. He told her that he was set free that very day and replaced with another prisoner who almost went willingly in place of the pirate. When she got down to the final sentence of the letter she saw it was a message Johnny had told the guard to give her.

'One day, we will be together again.'

Taking the letter and evidence, she threw it into the fire and watched as it disbursed into flames and ash.

The next morning there was a new message on the table beside her bed, she jumped up and grabbed it. This was the message she had been waiting on, marked with a red S to let her know. Opening it she read the long story of how her mother had another lover, a commodore in the navy but he was in love with another and told her so, yet she did not give up, she got him drunk and the next day he was gone, married to the daughter of a governor on a distant island. Three months later her mother met her father and six months later she gave birth to Mary. Mary was not her father's daughter. She stood tall and placed her hand on her own stomach.

"You will meet your father, I swear. Just may not be under the best circumstances." Scarlett whispered to her child as she walked to the balcony.

Looking down she saw her sister's carriage stop and the Captain hopped out then helped his wife out of the carriage. So that was the truth, Mary was only her half sister but probably didn't know the truth herself, she had only known father to be her true father. Mary looked up and waved at her sister with an enthusiastic smile.

"Scarlett! Wonderful news! We have found someone who is willing to marry you!" Mary smiled as she rushed inside.

This would not end well, she refused to marry anyone, no matter what she had to do to get out of it. Scarlett shut the doors to her balcony and began to plan a way to stay away from the altar and any men who thought they could rush her down it.