Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates. I wish I did, but I don't.
Rating: PG
Summary: Barbossa catches a thief.
Author's Note: Drabble for Thief challenge at BlackPearlSails. Especially since the scene by the dead Kraken in POTC 3, I got the feeling that Barbossa and Jack had been friends for quite a while before COTBP. This is pre-COTBP. On to the story…
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The Black Pearl had just ported in Tortuga and its captain and first mate were heading into the port town for supplies, hoping to find one of the rare business owners that stayed sober at this time of night. Vaguely, Barbossa felt more than saw something moving in his pocket. A hand lashed out and grabbed onto a tiny wrist, much too small to be an adult.
"Arrr, what have we here? Seems to be a pickpocket in our midst, Sparrow." He turned to look at the small boy, 9 maybe 10 years old, that was now cowering from the admittedly intimidating pirate. "Do ya know what happens to thieves such as yerself?" The boy looked at him with frightened eyes, but shook his head. "No? Well, let me be the one ta tell you… They lose their hand, whelp. Can't very well steal again if ya get yer hand cut clean off, can ya?" The boy flinched away and started trying to jerk out of Barbossa's tight hold.
"Now Hector, stop trying to frighten the tike. You can't tell me that you weren't like that once. I can just see it. Little Hector Barbossa, running around sans beard with a freshly pilfered hat and feather too big to fit, scarin' the bejesus out of young soon-to-be wenches."
Barbossa rolled his eyes and let the kid go, if only to shut Jack up. "Like me, eh? And I suppose in 20 or so years, he'll be the pirate everyone fears?" He watched as the boy ran off, only to trip over a random object on the corner, slip to the ground letting fly the small purse he already had hidden in a pocket, which then hit him on the head. He quickly picked himself up and took off again. "God help us all. Looks to me like we'll be havin' a world full of Jack Sparrows.'
"Then we're truly doomed. Fortunately, we can drink that nightmare away with a wonderful substance we call rum. This way to the drink and salty wenches my dear friend…" Jack led Barbossa off to the nearest tavern, already wondering which of the 'ladies' would be there tonight.
Wow, writing Jack and Barbossa's dialogue is HARD. Let me know what you think. I'll love you for it…