Catherine Morgan had 'bad blood'. She was not like other women, who would get married and have children either in a huge house or a one room house. Catherine Morgan had hardly ever been in a house or a home because home usually meant a deck, a sail and a cabin.

Piracy. It was illegal and a crime punishable by death or 'hung by the neck until dead' as they liked to call it, which Catherine thought was a stupid thing to say. Of course one was to be hung until dead, they were hardly going to ask if it was a little tight around the neck.

'Morgan', that was a name most pirates knew well but they did not expect the heir of the co-writer of the code to be a woman, with no ship or crew of her own, but that did not mean she was any less of a pirate than her ancestor the great Captain.

Tortuga. That was where most things happened to slowly failing pirates like Catherine, who like most knew that getting drunk was a lovely place to start. Catherine made her best plans when drunk and worse but always came out of it alive be it with or without another demon in her past. However, she didn't want to think about that and she didn't have time as one very drunken, dirty sailor groped her from behind and made his intentions clear.

"Any of that coming my way?" he asked.

Catherine was tempted to start a fight but there was something about the voice that made her turn around and look at him suspiciously. She was a dark-haired, sun-kissed and blue eyed young-ish woman and had seen plenty in a short time.

"You're not from around here are you? Neither are you a regular at picking salty wrenches, see no make-up on this face means I am not a whore. You got yourself a case of mistaken identity," she replied, calmly.

"You're a woman aren't you? You're all after one thing, you just don't know what's good for you," said the man bitterly.

'That voice, I only here men of the law talk that way,' she thought.

"Easy sailor, there are women and there are women in this town. There are those who will pleasure you before look at you or kill you. Luckily for you I am in the mood for neither activity tonight, this is my drinking night, as it is yours by the looks of things," she said.

The man raised an eyebrow at her and sighed.

"Every night is drinking night," he said, gloomily.

Catherine managed to laugh, but her suspicions were high as she looked around like a nervous rabbit. One 'law-man' was unlikely and she studied what was left and noticeable of the man's clothing. She ordered two more bottles of rum and upon being asked for payment, simply showed the man a tattoo on her arm.

"You don't pay," added the bar-man.

"I hope not," she added.

The company she was in grabbed her by the arm and looked at the tattoo. It was a simple black 'M' to him and he let her go, appearing uninterested.

"Where do I get one of those?" he asked.

"You do not, ever unless you want your arm cut for slander. So sailor what are your plans? Who is your highest bidder?" asked Catherine.

The man almost choked on his rum. He looked at her questioningly and she pointed to stripes, half hanging and what was left of a powdered wig. Catherine was not a woman to attempt to fool, when she clapped eyes on anyone, she had a measure of them in an instant.

"I have to hand it to you, you look rough enough to be a local but your lack of knowledge and voice give you away. You've been educated and it is more than slightly obvious. I'll warn you I am going nowhere without a fight but it is about time something like this happened to me," she added.

The man laughed.

"Almost woman, almost. Yes you are partly right, but call what you see a dream of a life gone badly. I'm in no position to hand you in, you're not important enough to regain my honour," he said, drinking more and more.

Catherine smirked and also carried on drinking. She looked away from him and back to him a few times. Eventually she put down her second bottle of rum and turned to the man, she took his chin in her hand and stared into his eyes.

"You sound like a proud man, who had the world and lost it quicker than he earned it," she said.

"You know me?" he asked.

"Is that your way of telling me who you are? A Commodore..." she began, stroking his shoulder.

The man watched her with interest and she met his gaze with a powerful smile, it was cheeky, it was friendly and it was somehow a comfort. She was disgusting, she was not a lady, she was not anything to him, she should be in irons as far as he was concerned.

"Not anymore," he said.

"Good, or I'd have to kill you and your men," she said, quietly and into his ear.

Catherine gave him back his personal space.

"I'd have liked to see you try. So you have my old rank and all I know about you is you carry some power in that letter on your arm. Do you even know what the letter is?" he asked.

Catherine was about to reply, when a man grabbed her drinking partner by the neck and put a gun to his head.

"Are you going to or shall I? She's a woman!" he shouted.

BANG! The problem was solved because Catherine drew out her own pistol and shot him, helped herself to his pistol and looked around challengingly. No one would be calling upon her tonight and her new acquaintance was rooted to the spot.

"What were you saying Commodore?" she asked, calmly.

He coughed and pointed at her arm. Catherine smiled and rolled down her sleeve, causing more and more curiosity.

"You're right, I was branded, it means nothing to me," she lied.

"You're lying, you're a pirate aren't you?" he asked.

"What do you call a pirate with no ship or crew?" she asked.

"Still a pirate. Though I hardly arrested many women for piracy, according to the..."

"It is bad luck to have women aboard if they know you are a woman. Does it make you still a Commodore with no men to command?" she asked.

"Don't you understand that I am now the wanted man?" he asked.

"Yes I do but you haven't given me a normal name to call you by so your old rank seemed a good place to start," she replied.

Another two bottles of rum appeared, the bar-keep bowed to her slightly and she raised her bottle to him in thanks. The ex-commander stared at it and the woman he was with for quite some time, wondering what he was getting himself into.

"You might as well call me James," he said.

Catherine smiled, she liked that name. It was a Christian name, she was not used to Christian names but decided to play him at his own game. She took his hand and shook it briefly but kept hold of it.

"My name is Catherine," she said.

James looked lost for just a moment.

"Not abbreviated at all?" he asked.

"I'll never be less than who I am," she replied.

He still had hold of her hand and looked likely to kiss her or carry on their conversation, or both but neither of them knew or would ever know because a voice made James turn and stare very intently at an old man, stood on a table.

"Anyone and all welcome to Captain Jack Sparrow's crew! We don't care who you are, what you done or where you from!"

James growled and left Catherine, who followed him to the small queue of men wanting to join Jack Sparrow's crew.

"Do you know him?" asked Catherine.

James didn't answer, he ignored her and Catherine could only watch as it became clear that there was a story behind Jack Sparrow and her new friend that led to James losing his precious rank. Catherine was amused as a dark-skinned man tried to escape James, who tried to shoot him until a fight broke out and the whole bar seemed to get involved.

"I hate these parties!" shouted Catherine.

The next thing she knew, James was out cold and being thrown out with the pigs. Catherine followed him only to find another woman, dressed in a manly way trying to help him. Her hand reached around her sword but the woman turned to her.

"Didn't see you there, could you help me please?" she asked.

Catherine came to her senses and let go of her sword. The woman's voice was similar in style to James' and she had no idea why she wanted to kill a girl, who had done her no harm. She hadn't heard the word 'please' very often and believed it to mean 'desperate'.

"Not another one! Where do you people come from?" asked Catherine, almost single-handedly lifting James.

"Excuse me?" asked the woman.

"What? You've come here to be a pirate or something? Hope you're a better one than he is, not a bloody clue!" shouted Catherine.

James stirred in semi-consciousness.

"Elizabeth, do us all a favour and marry Turner and die of plague," he muttered.

Elizabeth looked horrified and almost dropped him completely but Catherine had it covered and managed to keep James upright. Catherine couldn't have been more amused and followed the girl a little quicker, who was following Jack Sparrow.

"Captain Sparrow!" she called.

"Come to join my crew lad?" he asked, not looking back.

"I've come to find the man I love," added Elizabeth.

"Sorry my first and only love is the sea, bloody hell, they're all at it!" Added Jack.

"Meaning Will Turner, Capatin Sparrow," added Elizabeth.

Catherine caught up just in time. Jack turned to Elizabeth and then narrowed his eyes at Catherine, who smiled at him warmly. At first Elizabeth thought Jack was bowing to her but turned to Catherine, who returned the compliment.

James looked on through blurred vision and stumbled forward. Elizabeth turned back to Jack and continued with her request.

"He was looking for you, did he find you?" she asked.

Jack struggled to take his eyes from Catherine, but did so to skirt around the truth of what had really happened to Elizabeth's almost husband.

"In events that had nothing to do with me, your beloved secured himself an everlasting stay with Davey Jones," he replied.

Catherine narrowed her eyes at the mention of Davey Jones, she caught sight of Jack's bandaged hand and looked at the ship with black sails and the crew. She turned back to James, who was in no fit state to comprehend what she wanted to tell him.

"Captain Sparrow!" she called.

Jack moved his head around Elizabeth.

"Yes your ladyship?" he asked.

"I'm in need of your hospitality," replied Catherine.

Jack looked around and pointed at himself. Catherine nodded and Jack took a deep breath and swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Is there not some other...?" he started.

"None as fine as you good Captain," added Catherine.

Jack was about to open his mouth, when his aid, who had been advertising in the bar walked over, shaking his head repeatedly.

"No, no, no Captain! It is terribly bad luck to have..." he started.

Catherine rolled up her sleeve and the man was silent and got down on one knee. Catherine shook her head and walked over to him, she made him stand up and dragged Elizabeth onto the Black Pearl with her.

"Who are you?" asked Elizabeth.

"This is Catherine," replied James, wobbling onto the deck.

Catherine couldn't have said it better herself, she helped the ship set off, followed some orders that she saw fit and then located her host at the helm and made herself the object of Jack's full attention by taking hold of the wheel.

"What have you done this time?" she asked.

Jack looked uncomfortable and passed her his compass.

"Is my life and safety what means most to you?" he asked.