A/N: As promised! The continuing adventure of Tazz and Jack. And to any new readers, 1: this takes place after "Curse of the Black Pearl" and as if "Dead Man's Chest has not happened, and 2: please read "A Pirate's Life" before you embark on this one, otherwise you won't understand much. Enjoy!

She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and groaned as she stretched. To her surprise, two small furry paws plopped themselves on her chin, making her wearily open her eyes. A big black cat lying on her chest came into focus. "Mm... Spooky? What're you doin' here...?" As she woke up a little more, she thought to herself, Was that... all a dream?

The ship lurched and Tazz went flying out of her hammock, spilling onto the wood floor.

"Oh, ow... Geez..."

Hefting herself off the floor, Tazz rubbed her head and began to dress. Pulling on her pants, she realized she would have to patch up a hole in the left knee. Thankfully, her bandanna was still in good shape. After getting dressed, she opened her door and let Spooky out to hunt the mice and rats aboard the Black Pearl. "Your curfew's at two!" she called after his tail.

She walked down the hall that ended with the stairs that led onto the deck. How had she thought all this was a dream? It had been nearly a month since the world was pulled out from under her by the sorceress Calista. She'd had a month to cope with the fact that this era was her true home. Unfortunately, it still gave her a headache if she thought about it too hard...

Climbing up on deck and squinting her eyes from the bright rising sun, she was first greeted by Caleb Arvin, the Irishman she had befriended in Williamsburg. He was busy shoving a mop back and forth on the deck, cleaning up a section that was getting a bit dirty. Tazz teased him a little by standing just out of reach and sticking her tongue out. Caleb swung the mop at her, but she managed to jump back before the dirty water hit her. "I swear, yer like a fox in a chicken coop, you are." He smiled and continued mopping up the deck.

Tazz chuckled and went on her way, heading towards the helm where she knew the captain of this vessel would be. Sure enough, standing at the tiller was Captain Jack Sparrow in all his pirate-y glory. "Where are we, Jack?" she called, standing in front of the half deck and looking up.

Jack smirked and pointed off the port side of the ship. "Jamaica," he said.

Turning around, Tazz saw the island of Jamaica a few miles to their left. She smiled a little, then turned back to Jack. "And just where will we be docking in Jamaica?"

"Well, we're merely dropping Will off. He plans to head to Port Royal in one of the boats." Jack rolled his eyes. "Says he wants a few weeks off. I don't plan to dock till we hit Tortuga, then we're having a nice long break."

Tazz nodded. "Sounds good to me."

It was noon when they neared the Port Royal harbor. As usual, they docked just outside the inlet and out of sight, then began lowering a boat down. One of the other pirates was going to take Will to shore, then come right back with the boat so they could get to Tortuga. Tazz watched the pirate Dawson climb down into the boat, then glanced up to see Jack clapping Will on the back and telling him to hurry up his vacation.

Will laughed and shook his head. "I'm not skimping on this leave just to come back to this ship early. I need this." He said his various goodbyes to the crew. He finally turned to Tazz. "And you. You are the reason I'm never going to forget this little adventure."

Tazz grinned. "I'm flattered. See you around Will."

Will nodded and climbed down into the waiting boat. Dawson grabbed the oars and began to head for the Port Royal docks. "I'll be back soon, Cap'n," he called.

Jack waved one last time before they rounded the cliff the Pearl was hidden behind and vanished from sight.

In the twenty minutes it took before the boat came back, Tazz had taught Jack how to play Rock Paper Scissors. They were sprawled across the deck playing over and over again until Jack quit, tired of losing more often than winning. Tazz had taunted him for a minute before finding a piece of parchment and a small stick of kohl. Then she sprawled back out and began to doodle. Jack had merely flopped onto his back, his arm laid across his eyes to block out the sun. Finally, Jonesy, the lookout, shouted out that the boat was returning. Jack looked up and called, "How far is Dawson?"

Jonesy didn't reply for a long moment. "Well sir," he finally called back, "I don't know. Cuz either Dawson has stolen Will's skin, or it's Will that's returnin'."

Everyone but Tazz roused from relaxing and stood on the side of the ship, watching none other than Will row up to the Pearl. Jack blinked in befuddlement as Will climbed up the rope and back onto the deck. "What in blazes are you doin' back so soon? Vacation over already?"

Will laughed and shook his head once more. "Hardly... I have news."

Jack looked worried. "Good or bad?"

"Good," Will assured. "Well, I hope it's good, anyway. Elizabeth wants us for dinner," he said to Jack.

"You'll give her indigestion," Tazz said immediately, not looking up.

Jack cast a reproachful stare at Tazz, then turned back to Will. "So am I correct to assume that we're permitted in Port Royal now?" he asked.

"Apparently so," Will replied. "Elizabeth has ways of getting her way..."

"I've noticed," Jack muttered, then smiled. "Well. When is this dinner and who's invited?"

"It's at six o' clock and it will be just me, Elizabeth, you... and a date if you wish. Elizabeth said it, not me," he added quickly at Jack's stare.

Jack nodded slowly, his eyes traveling to Tazz. "Devil, will you be my date?" he asked, a lilting tone to his voice.

Tazz stopped her sketching and slowly lifted her gaze to Jack. She stared at him for a long minute before looking back at her parchment and continuing her sketch. "So sorry Jack, but I haven't a thing to wear."

Jack grinned. "Nonsense! There's plenty of dresses in the hold."

Tazz shot him a dirty look. "Dinner parties aren't really my thing, and neither are dresses."

"Oh, but I'll look a fool if I show up all by me onsie," Jack continued, the lilt still in his voice.

"So sorry for you."

Jack huffed and hauled Tazz to her feet, pulling her a few steps away. "You're goin', luv," he muttered to her. "Ain't no way I'm sufferin' alone." He shepherded her below decks. "Now go on, fine somethin' pretty."

"Oh you have got to be fucking kidding me..." he heard Tazz grumble in annoyance.

He gave the passage Tazz had just disappeared down a strange look and returned to Will. "This is going to be interesting..."

--------------------

Will had been at the governor's mansion for nearly half an hour. He had been spending some quality time with Elizabeth before six rolled around; then he began to anticipate Tazz and Jack's arrival.

At six fifteen there was a knock at the door. Will and Elizabeth jumped up and hurried from the parlor to the foyer just as the doorman ushered a couple inside.

Their jaws dropped.

Jack's hair was tamed. It hung in gentle waves past his shoulders and was brushed to a shine. All the beads and trinkets were gone and the ever-present red bandanna was nowhere to be seen. There was still the faintest trace of kohl around his eyes, but it seemed to help the outfit as opposed to hinder it. He wore a rather nice black suit coat over a white dress shirt, a white kerchief around his neck. The ensemble was finished off by long dark breeches... and his boots. Well, everything couldn't be perfect.

But for as nice as Jack cleaned up, Tazz cleaned up better. Her honey-colored hair was swept up atop her head, held in place by a black silk ribbon. Her eyes, too, were traced with a thin line of kohl and her lips shimmered with a gloss. She wore a stunning red gown that hung off the shoulders and had an almost corset-like bodice that accentuated her slim waist. The dress gently flared at the hips and trailed to the floor behind her. Each seam of the dress was trimmed with golden brocade.

Jack smirked. "Do you greet all your guests with your mouths hangin' open."

Will recovered first. "How in the world...? You are the same people I left on the Black Pearl this afternoon, correct?"

"We're stunt doubles," Tazz said.

Elizabeth recovered as well. "Are you sure you're a pirate captain?" she asked Jack. "You look incredible!"

Jack winked. "Secret of the profession, luv." He laughed. "Ye shoulda seen the crew's reaction. They 'bout bloody-well died. Though I must say they were more impressed with her than me." He jerked his head towards Tazz.

Tazz rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well I'm not holding your arm on ceremony. I really can't walk in these shoes."

Jack laughed again. "And that's no exaggeration. Had to practically carry her up here."

"You did not, you liar... You just had to catch me in the many times I fell."

Will chuckled and murmured to Elizabeth, "Well, they look like different people, at least."

Elizabeth nodded and gestured through the doorway she and Will had come through. "Come into the parlor. Supper should be ready within fifteen minutes."

The two pairs of people strolled to the parlor and sat in the overstuffed chairs that were there. Tazz had a bit of trouble finding a way to sit so all the fluff in the skirt of her dress didn't puff up all around her, finally deciding to sit at the edge of the chair. "I don't understand how someone can wear this much brocade and not be classified as a Mardi Gras float..." she muttered to herself.

Jack snickered to himself behind his hand, then in response to Tazz's look, he turned it into a cough. "Sorry, I think I must be comin' down with something'..."

Will smiled and leaned forward slightly. "So how did the crew react to... this?" He gestured to the new and improved pirates.

"I thought the laughter would never stop when I came on deck," Jack replied. "They were just in regular hysterics." He glanced to Tazz and smirked cruelly. "Then she comes saunterin' out of my cabin... I've never heard the deck so silent. Didn't last long, though, cuz as soon as the boys composed themselves, the cheers and howls were deafening. Some of 'em never composed themselves, though, and just kept starin'. Thought Jonesy was gonna fall right out of the crow's nest..."

"Well that quiet bunch must have been awfully sparse, cuz I certainly didn't notice them," Tazz interjected. "I almost lost my hearing on that deck."

Will and Elizabeth laughed. "Oh, I wish I could have seen that," Will said. "You know you're just going to get it again when you head back to the ship, right?"

"Oh yes, I know," Jack said. "Thankfully, many of them will be out and about in the city. They're enjoyin' the new atmosphere." That reminded him... "Elizabeth, luv... how did ye manage to talk yer father into lettin' us dock here?"

Elizabeth smiled secretly. "I just had to say 'please' and bat my eyelashes."

Jack thought that tactic over. "Come to think of it, when a woman does that to me and I say yes to whatever she wants, as well..."

Tazz let out a quick burst of laughter. "You're just too charming for your own good, aren't you Sparrow?"

"I try, luv," Jack replied, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Tazz had just insulted him.

Tazz rolled her eyes as Will and Elizabeth held back laughter. "And this is who I am stuck with for the rest of my life, ladies and gentlemen..."

Jack glanced at her. "I can just leave ye here, Devil."

"In this outfit?" Tazz asked, shocked at the mere idea. "You must be mental."

Before a match of wits could break out, one of the servants of the house entered the parlor and announced that dinner was served. The four got to their feet, some not as steadily as others, and traversed to the dining room. The long table, which could probably had seated twenty comfortable, only had four settings at one end. Once everyone was seated, two servants wheeled out two carts of covered dishes.

As the servants dished placed the dishes on the table, Tazz was busy staring at the many pairs of silverware that lined either side of her plate. She blinked in confusion. Were five forks really necessary?

Jack raised a brow at her. "Intimidated by the spoons, luv?" he asked.

Tazz shook her head slowly. "I have no idea what I'm looking at here..."

"What, you didn't use silverware in New Jersey?"

"Oh, I did," Tazz replied. "But I only ever needed one pair. This is just... superfluous."

"I recommend starting from the outside and moving your way in," Will advised. "That generally works for me."

Elizabeth cast him a look and sighed. "I offered to teach you, but you turned it down. So don't start complaining."

Tazz looked up as the final covered dish was set down on the table. With a somewhat elegant motion, the servant pulled the lid off... revealing a small pig, head and all, staring at her. Tazz's eyes were about three times larger and she held back a squeak. "Um... Jack?"

Jack looked up from the food being placed on his plate. "Hm?"

"It's, uh... It's looking at me."

After a moment of staring at the pig, then back to Tazz, Jack stifled a chuckle and simply turned the plate around so that it faced Elizabeth. "There. Better?"

Tazz nodded, but Elizabeth didn't quite agree. "Well now it's staring at me."

Jack rolled his eyes. "No one's ever satisfied..." He shifted the plate once more. "There. Now everyone's happy."

Will cast a flat look to Jack. "So I'm supposed to gaze at it all evening, then?"

Jack smirked and dug into his plate. "Deal with it."