Crossing Paths:

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"Bloody eunuch!" Jack yelled, brandishing his arms about. He stood over Will, who had slipped on the wet deck and was looking up at Jack like he was a maniac.
"Jack, I will fix the boat. Stop yelling." Will climbed to his feet and turned away from Jack, fiddling with one of the long boats.
"Eh? Much more of this and I think that kid of your's won't have a father anymore, savvy? I'm surprised you managed to ever get the woman pregnant, you know that? Who'll be singing the lullabies, hm?"

Still muttering under his breath, Jack turned to look out over Tortuga from The Pearl. They had docked for a short time to pick up a few crew members and some supplies, but then William had knocked over one of the boats, and it was needing repairs. Jack leaned against the larboard railing and thought about life since Will had come aboard. Will had refused to let Elizabeth come, for she was with child and the risk was too high. So she stayed with her father until Will's return. Sighing, Jack made his way down the plank to the dock. It was Tortuga, he should lighten his mental load while he was here.

Smirking, he headed for his favorite pub and poked his head in. There near the center, sat Gibbs and many other of his crew, laughing and drinking from their flaggons. Marty looked around and motioned for him to join him. Jack's smirk fell. The bloody men were completly drunk. That meant more time they had to spend away from open water. He sighed again, but gave in and sat down with his own mug of rum.

An hour later, many of the men had either headed back to the ship, or passed out right there at the table. Jack sat, the only one still concious, staring off at the wall on the other side of the pub. For some reason, the pattern of the wood grain struck him, and he studied it closely. Bloody rum, he thought. His eyes closed slowly, and he slumped forward a little onto the table, not registering the sounds of the rowdy tavern customers around him. He was aware of the mug slipping from his grasp and onto the floor with a soft Clank!, before he blacked out like his crew.

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Jane paced around the streets of Tortuga, she had heard about this port from many a pirate. But she had never planned on going there, that was until she heard about how easy it was to get work. Not as a whore mind you, she was a pirate. Not the best in all the seas, but a pirate none the less.
She stuffed a bit of her hair back up into her hat. One thing that she had learned in her time on the sea was it was a bad idea to let anyone know she was a woman. And in this town it was almost a death sentence to show any sign.
Jane stopped in front of a crowded tavern, drunken men toppled out of the doorway making rude gestures and sounds. She stepped in over the smelly bodies thinking that in the least she could get her a bit of rum to calm her nerves. Jane looked around the pub trying to find the best guy to get info about a job from. She grinned seeing a partictulerly handsome man slomped over his table. She watched as his mug fell to the floor. She laughed and picked it up and slambed it down on the table waking him up.
Jack was startled awake by the loud sound of the mug being slamed down in front of him. He blinked a couple of times and pulled himself up into a slouched sitting position, looking at the slightly blurred figure standing before him. He raised an eyebrow, recognizing that it was a woman, though she did seem to be trying to hide it. But there was one thing he was goood at, sniffing out beutiful women.
"'Ello, love. Looking for a lap?" He patted his lap with the hand that was not holding a steady grip on the table. His eyes swept over the figure of the woman, making out all her hidden curves.
Jane gasped wondering if he could tell or if he was just a little different. Noticing how he was looking at her curving form she realized how bad her disguise was.
"Hell no! You Wretch!" she said sitting down across from him instead.
"I would offer to buy you a drink, but you know it looks to me like you've already had one too many. One more and you might just piss rum." she smirked and couldnt help but laugh at how he had to hold himself up, well almost held himself up..
Jack had been bending down under the table to get his fallen mug, when he realized that she had used his mug to wake him. He sat up and as a result, wacked his head on the table.
"Bloody hell!" he shouted, wincing and ducking out from under the table. Holding the back of his head in one hand, he sneered at her.
"You? Buy me a drink?" He shook his head trying to get the dizzyness to clear from his eyes.
"Ye see, I thought that was my job. I pay for ye and yer drink, savvy? Although, I'm not goin' to complain if ye buy me a drink, but that kind of beats the purpose, now doesn' it?" Jane sneered at him and tried very hard not to deck him out right there.
"What the bloody hell mate?! You pay for a whore and her drink. And I'm no whore you wretch!" She pulled a couple coins from her pocket and slambed them down on the table.
"Now, how about that drink?" She grabbed his mug and let to the bar.
Jack's smile fell as she stood up to walk to the bar. But as she walked off, it reappeared as he tilted his head slightly, his eyes wandering farther down her body than was polite. He smirked and continued to watch as she reached the counter. Beside him, Gibbs had started to stir. Jack elbowed him hard in the side and Gibbs shot up with a shout.

"For the love of mother and child, Jack, can ye ever leave a man in peace?" he asked, frowning at his captain.

"Ye will have wanted to be woken, mate," Jack reply, still smirking. He pointed over to Jane at the bar, and gave a small laugh as Gibbs eyes made the same path Jack's had. But as Jane turned to walk back, he pushed Gibbs away. "Hurry, pretend to be asleep again, ye lousy lump!"

Gibbs frowned, but did as he was told, resting his head back down on the table and dangling an arm to the floor.
Jane started to hand Jack his rum, but at the last minute pulled it away causeing some of the burning amber to spill on her shirt.
"What's your name anyhow mate?" Sitting down she glanced at a pirate who seemed to be passed out close by, she sneered and tried to ignore the smell coming from him.
"Something I was going to ask ye," Jack said, reaching over the table to take one of the rums from her. Then he reached up to tip his hat, his sideways grin playing on his face.
"Captain Jack Sparrow, to ye, love. And this," He motioned to the men asleep around them.
"Is my crew..."
He frowned.
"Well, some of 'em anyways." He took a sip of the rum and then looked up at Jane.
"And ye, love? Who do I have the pleasure of drinking with on this fine Tortuga evening?" He looked out the dirty window
"Er, morning," he corrected himself.
"Jane...and that be it, Jane, or Jane Blackblade" She made sure to pronounce her pirate name, Blackblade was a name most knew in the Caribbean. And he didn't need to know that she was notthe reason it was known.
"Ah Captain is it, so you must have a ship around here huh? What fine bit of wood may I ask to you have?" She knew right who he was the moment he said his name, who didn't know Jack Sparrow.
Jack raised an eyebrow at her. Beside him Gibbs made a funny sound that sounded like a snicker. Jack elbowed him in the ribs again to shut him up.
"Er, The Black Pearl, I'm sure ye've heard of it." He smirked and took another sip from his new mug of rum, resting his foot on the one that had fallen under the table.
Jane stared at him a second then smirked, this was perfect. The Black Pearl.
"The Black Pearl huh?" She took a drink of her rum and smiled seductivly at him.
Jack narrowed his eyes and the leaned in close, as if he was about to tell her a secret.
"Aye, The Black Pearl, love. Fastest ship in the Caribbean. Freedom." His eyes were alight with pleasure at his own words, as he smiled lopsidedly at her and downed the rest of his rum in a sort of toast.
"Aye, The Black Pearl?" She hesitated, not sure how just to go about this.
"Hm...would you think...oh, nevermind, not like the great Captain Jack Sparrow would want a woman aboard his ship. So..." She smirked and set her rum down and slid it over to him as an offering.
Jack rolled his eyes, and after downing the mug in one gulp said,
"Ye wanna come aboard?" He asked, knowing full well what she was doing, but not really caring. She was hot. He stood and nudged Gibbs with his foot.
"Ge' up, you lazy dogs!" he shouted to his crew. They all slowly groaned, stretched, and got up slowly. Some sneered at Jane.
"Ye're gonna bring a whore on board with ye, Cap'n?" One man asked, with a small smile.

Jack ignored them and turned back to Jane. "Are ye coming? Ye have to work your keep, I'll have ye know. No free board on my ship."
Jane laughed and tipped her hat.
"Ay, but you think that my "keep" is anything other then anyother pirate I will castrate you. Got me?" She sneered and glowered her eyes at him. He laid one hand on her and she was going to kill him.
Jack grinned at the look on her face, and played along. He stepped closer to her and slinked an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to his side so that their hips bumped together.
"Tha's for me to decide, Jane, but I can safely say ye will only be scrubbin' deck" he replied, leaning in close to her ear. Jane sneered and pulled from him.
"Aye thats what I thought, goodbye Sparrow!" Jane started to step away k nowinf ful well what he would do.
Jack laughed. "Come 'ere, love. I was only joking." He strode after her and grabbed her forearm lightly.
"Ye'll just scrub the decks. Cook and clean. Tha' be it, cross my heart an' swear to burn me rum!" He turned to the door of the pub.
"So, under the new conditions, are ye coming?" Jane smiled.
"Aye I be coming! But know this..." She stepped right up to him, her face right in his.
"Come into my room once and ye will be singing with the best of women. I will never sleep with you." Walking out the door she winked at him.
He smirked as he watched her walk away.
"Savvy, love." As he followed her towards the docks, however, he turned to Gibbs.
"A week, maybe two," he whispered. Gibbs shook his head.
"Maybe ye should leave 'er alone fer a while, Cap'n... Mother's love, we now have two women on board. What lies in store fer us?"

Jack rolled his eyes and walked a little faster to reach the gangplank ahead of Jane. He gave a mock bow to her, stepping aside for her.
"After you, young Miss Jane."
Jane pushed past him and knocked him a bit as she made her way to the deck.
"Jane, call me Miss and you die. So where will I be bunking Sparrow?" She looked around her at the dirty crew, maybe this was a bad idea.
"I's Captain, love. But plain ol' Jack will do, savvy?" He smiled and waited for her to climb up to the ship.
"Ye'll have to choose between bunking with Anamaria, or sleeping with the crew. But between you and me," he leaned in close.
"I'd rather have a separate hammock in the crew's quarters than to share a bunk with Ana. She's scary." He smirked and shrugged.
"Or there's the cold deck, or...my room. Your choice, darling."
Jane raised her eyebrow at his last comment. Was he really going to let her decide where she slept during her stay on his ship?
"My choice huh..." She smirked thinking of the best way to be annoying.
"Well, I take your cabin. One question though, where are you going to stay?" Jack's smile fell. Wh did he take her aboard?
"Alrigh', very funny. Ye be nice or I will make ye sleep in the crows nest with Cotton. "He laughed as he followed her the rest of the way up the plank.
"But its gets rather cold up there..." he trailed off, smirking, and walked away towards his cabin.
"Fine!" She frowned at him exasperated. Jack spun around and rolled his eyes.
"Well then, ye don't mind sharing the nest with Cotton here, do you?" He patted the back of an old man with a parrot on his shoulder who was tying down a rope. The man smiled shyly and went back to his work.
"Oh yeah, maybe ye could bunk up with William too, but he's a married man, and that wouldn't be too kind to dear Lizzie, now would it?" Jane frowned and studied his face a moment.
"Ok fine, how big is your room?" Her face was almost expressionless, almost. You could still see the look of, I will you kill in her eyes. Jack's sideways grin had returned at her words.
"I'm the Captain, love. I can make it as big as the entire ship, if I wanted." He reached out a hand and pushed open the door to his cabin, allowing her to step inside.
"See for yerself." The room was actually quite roomy, with one large bed, a wardrobe, desk, table for 4, and two chairs in the corner.
Stepping her way inside she looked around the cabin feeling taken aback.
"Wow, Captain. I must say I am impressed. Your room is actually decent. At least something about you is." She smirked at him over her shoulder. After hearing the door shut she flopped down in one of the chairs.
"So, you don't mind me staying here huh? I wouldn't be to tempting?" Jack's eyes widened eagerly as he turned away from the door to face her. He walked to the corner of the room where she sat and looked down at her, smirking.
"Mind? O' coarse I don't." He turned and spread his arms in the direction of the bed.
"There's room for us both, I assure you." He twirled a hand absently as he began to take off his effects, coat, and vest. Then he turned to Jane again, his shirt front falling open at the top to reveal much of his chest.
"Should we get know each other a little better, then?" He had meant it as a joke, but suddenly his own composure disappeared and his shoulders slouched as something came into play in his mind that he had not thought about for many years now.
Looking at Jack's bare chest, she didn't even register his last words, or the sudden flash of sadness on his face. Then she looked away, feeling slightly embarrassed, but only slightly. Being on pirate ship after pirate ship as a boy she had seen much worse.
"I think I will be fine right here thank you." She shifted in the chair, which wasn't as easy as she thought it would be.
"Suit yerself, love," Jack said, regaining his airy attitude, and smirking plainly. He turned and headed for the door to check in with Gibbs on deck. On the way be, he grabbed his vest and flung it back on, along with his own baldric, pistol, and hat. The day was just beginning and he needed to get out to sea. The stillness of his ship was making him sick.
Jack opened the door to his cabin and looked up at the upper deck to see Gibbs standing at the helm, waiting for him. He lept up the stairs, two at a time, and rested a hand fondly on one peg of the wheel. "What's the news, Gibbs?"

The older man looked at Jack for a moment before speaking. He shifted uncomfortabley and cleared his throught. "Ahem. Er, Captain, Master Will has still, uh, not finished his repairs on the long boat. And, er, he's asleep...in his cabin." He braced himself for the blow. It didn't exactly come.

Jack sighed exasperatedly and threw his head forward onto the wheel. It smacked into it with a loud thud, but he only repeated the action. "And does Mister Turner know that I am this close," He held up his thumb and index finger about a centimeter apart, "to making him a eunuch myself?!"

Gibbs smiled at his Captain's words, knowing all too well that Jack would never do such a thing. No man deserved that. "I doubt it, Jack."

The Captain looked up and said, as he flung down the stairs, "Well, then, I think Mister Turner, needs some persuasion, what d'you say?"

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Rhi leaned against the mast of her ship, the sun would soon rush its way into sky lighting up the day with yellow heat. The reflection on the sea would make it even harder for her to move around.
She was already sixth months into her pregnancy, her belly rounded much fuller then it should be for this time. She ran her hands over her abdomen as she watched her husband at the helm. Even after years of being together it still surprised her how he could go from the warm and passionate lover in the bedroom to the cold and harsh captain she saw before her.
He yelled out orders to the crew, a mariad of chores and duties that made no sense to her. She had been born in a dirty little town back in Ireland, then moved to the British colonies of India when she was twelve to live with her aunt, uncle, and her older cousin. Eventually, she had found herself a bar wench in some seedy tavern.
It had not been her choice, but for Rhi it was better then thinking on her past. On the past she longed to still have, if only she had taken the right choice then. Things would have turned out so different. It had been ten years almost to the day since her husband, Captain Kelly Larker, came into that pub and wisked her away to the warm blue waters of the Caribbean. The one place she wished to be more then any other place in the world.
She walked up to Kelly and ran her hand over his shoulder pressing her full belly into him, an action that always made him smile.
"So how much longer do you think?" Captain Kelly smirked as he ran his hand up and down Rhi's back. She moaned simply content and nothing more to be his lover and wife.
"Not long Luv, we be comin' up on port now. Just don' worry Rhi, I made a promise." Rhi grinned and played with his baldric, she new every nick and scrape on it. How many times she had to patch the thing she could not recall. A thought poped into her head.
"What port are we making for?" Kelly ran his fingers through her hair and looked out at the rapidly approching docks.
"Tortuga" Rhi followed her husband's eyes and she held in a gasp as her own laid firmly on the black sails of the ship that still remained bearthed.

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"William!" Jack shouted, banging a fist on the door of Will's cabin.
"Get out there and fix my bloody boat!" The door was flung open and there stood Will, shirtless and sweating nervously.

"Jack! I-" he was interupted by a voice from behind him. A female voice.

"Will, come back here!"

Will's face went white and he looked in horror at Jack. Jack's eyes widened and he stared at Will, his jaw dropping.
"Who the bloody hell is that?!" he asked, increduously, pushing the door open all the way. He stared at Will's bed, tilting his head back, his teeth showing a little as he pulled his mustached lip up. In the bed was a blond woman, her curly hair messy and her corset unstringed.
"Giselle," he said, nodding curtly to the woman.

She ignored him and stood up, placing an arm on Will's upper arm.
"Come on, Will, the boat can wait." She slammed the door in Jack's face so that he was forced to take a step back.

He stared dumbfoundedly at the door, then looked at Gibbs, who had followed him from the helm and was now looking at him, wide-eyed.
"Er..." Jack said, unsure of what to do. Then he raised his chin up and marched out on deck again.
"Ah. Xavier! Fix the boat!" He called to a young curly red haired man. Xavier nodded and shuffled off to patch the hole in the boat's bow.

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Rhi slipped from her husband's arms slowly and made her way to her cabin. It couldn't be, it just could it be. The Black Pearl, what a sight! She pulled her hair up onto her head in a loose bun letting a few strands fall over her face.
She could not get the idea of the Pearl out of her head. She wrapped a large green ruana around her dilberatly concealing her belly. Tortuga was no place for a woman, none the less one so heavy with child.
The Irish Rose glided along the Caribbean blue, her captain smirking as he stood at the helm. He had no clue as to the thoughts running in his wife's head, what she was off doing and why.
Rhi stepped out of her cabin, her hair finely done and her face cleaned with her eyes slightly painted as well as her cheeks. She looked flush with the blush of pregnancy and a small smile spread over her face.
'The Black Pearl...' Thoughts ran through her head. She walked up to her husband and leaned into him making him smile again. They were so close to the Pearl now that Rhi could see her crew working to ready her for setting sail. Rhi smiled brightly at who she saw at the helm, her heart beating wildly.

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Authors' Notes: Ok well first off the title of this story comes from the Sond The Old Ways by Loreena McKennitt from The Visit Album.

For disclaimers please see our author page. We do not own anything, only the characters not from the movie.