Disclaimer. Unfortunately, I own nothing – except Ben. All of the other Characters, The Black Pearl and The Flying Dutchman belong to the great Walt Disney Mouse. If I owned the characters, Jack and Elizabeth WOULD have been together!

Apart from very slight innuendo there is no smut in this chapter…but be warned…it gets very hot in later ones!

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Elizabeth and Will have decided to just remain friends. Their illegal marriage is no more. Elizabeth has a life to lead and craves adventure. She is working on The Pearl and has been for some four months.

Petal of a Rose

Chapter One – Pirate!

Jack stood on deck and watched as the crew left the ship. They had docked in Tortuga a couple of hours before. The men had made The Black Pearl safe and were now off to enjoy their rewards.

Elizabeth, lithe, straight backed and easily recognisable to Jack amidst the weathered seamen, was heading into town with his newest crewmember, a lad of 20 years, who had joined the ship at their last port of call.

Jack's eyes narrowed. 'I've just let her walk out of here with a virtual stranger.' He thought, 'A pirate at that!'

"Mr Gibbs!" Jack shouted.

His First-Mate hurried over.

"Capt'n?"

"Mr Gibbs. Could ye explain to me exactly why Miss Swann is in the company of that man?"

Gibbs peered along the dock and struggled to pick Elizabeth and that man out. When he spotted them, she had her head thrown back, laughing at something Ben had said. "Their friendly, Capt'n." he said, "They seem to have 'hit it off'."

"'Hit it off'?" Jack repeated, biting each word out, "So you've just let her walk off with a man we know nothin' about – a stranger!"

"Come on, Jack, Ben's no stranger. He's a nice lad, fitted into the crew real well, he has."

"Yeah." Jack said grimly, imagining slipping his hands around Ben's throat. "He hangs 'round Bars…and Pirates!"

Surprised and amused, Gibbs glanced over. "So do we!?"

"'Tis not the point, and ye know it!" Jack said, vexed.

"Ye can't just let her 'hit it off' with some man, and then let her waltz off with 'im!"

"They're goin' to one of the Taverns, Jack, an' to buy some personal supplies."

"Yeah…right!" 'Tavern and shopping, my ass,' thought Jack. 'What man in his right mind would waste time drinkin' and shoppin' with a woman with huge, liquid eyes an' a mouth like heaven?' 'Oh God!' He thought, his stomach clenching as he imagined Elizabeth, his 'Lizzie at Ben's mercy.

"Ben just wanted a little company in town. Damn it, Jack. Are you crazy? Right…I'll give it to you straight! I sold her to him for a dozen bottles of Rum! He should have her at the Opium Den by this time!"

Jack managed to get his vivid imagination under control, but didn't have the same luck with his temper. "That's not funny, Mr Gibbs!" He stormed. "Let's see how funny ye are if he tries anythin' with her!"

Gibbs turned to study his good friend and Capt'n. Fury, he noted, which he'd seen plenty of times on Jack's face, but since it seemed so incredibly out of place under the circumstances, he kept his tone mild.

"An' if he does, she'll handle it or hit back. He's not a maniac and she known how to handle herself."

"A lot of good ye know 'bout it!" Jack muttered.

"Y' know, Jack. Someone who didn't know you had the interests of your crew at heart, might just think yer jealous!"

"Jealous?" Terrifying thought! "That's bull, Mr Gibbs. Just bull!"

"Then why don't you tell me whats not bull, Jack? What's goin' on with you an' Elizabeth?"

"Nothin'! Nothin's going on! 'M jus' tryin' to look out for her, is all…which is more than I can say for you!"

"I guess I could've locked her in the Brig," Gibbs mused. "Or gone along with them as chaperone? Next time I see she's talkin' to one of the crew – I will!"

"Shut up, Mr Gibbs!" Jack turned on his heel and walked to his cabin. Slamming the door, he sighed and sat at his desk, leaned back in the chair and placed his booted feet on top of it. 'Damn you, Lizzie!' He thought.

PLEASE review…..this is the first chapter of my first story…feedback please!! Warning – some innuendo in the next chapter – after that it gets to some smut!