A/N So glad there is interest in this story! YAY! And to clear a few things up, more and more characters will be introduced gradually, so don't worry! I'll introduce Anya, Meg, Hercules, and many others in later chapters. Hopefully you'll start to see some connections and familiar names mentioned! And I wrote Elizabeth into this chapter but she probably won't be in later chapters as a primary because I'm not really a big Elizabeth fan. But she'll still be here, nonetheless. Hope you enjoy this one! Cliffhanger at the end! XOXO JTD

James Norrington sipped his coffee slowly as he waited for his colleagues to arrive. It was just after sunrise and James was the first to arrive for breakfast at their usual table at Tiana's Place. He quietly observed the restaurant as he waited for Smith and Phoebus. He saw Fantasia's scoundrel duo – Aladdin and Flynn groggily eating their morning meal. He noticed a brunette in yellow and a strawberry blonde in blue in deep discussion over notebooks in front of them. Other than that, Tiana's Place was quiet for a Saturday morning. James took another sip and waited.

"Ah, James. Here already?" John Smith asked as he walked through the door.

James nodded.

"Not a morning person, eh?" John asked sitting down across from his friend.

James smiled.

"That depends. Have we word on the smuggled goods from India?"

John shook his head and sighed.

"Unfortunately no. We know they came a few months ago but we're not sure which line it came through or what ship it was loaded on."

James rolled his eyes.

"Obviously it's Sparrow."

"Do you have some proof that I am not aware of?" John questioned reasonably.

He knew of James' endless vendetta against Jack Sparrow. It was a well known fact that the two were sworn enemies. James once had Jack behind bars. He was this close to seeing Jack locked up in a federal prison. But a woman close to Jack delivered proof that deemed him innocent. James hated the man ever since. And Jack continued taunting him.

"Jack Sparrow is the proof!" James shouted causing everyone in the cafe to stare at them.

James noticed his rash utterance and blushed, ashamed.

"Let's just change the subject, eh?" John Smith suggested.

"Good morning, John. Nice to see you this morning," Elizabeth cheerfully greeted.

John smiled back at her, grinning like a school boy.

A man could do worse than Elizabeth Swann. Elizabeth was definitely beautiful. She always had a smile on her face and was eager to please the customers. It was no secret that John had a crush on her.

"Very nice to see you, as well, Elizabeth. Coffee, please? Just sugar," John asked, gazing at her.

James had to stifle an eye roll.

Elizabeth turned red and nodded. John watched her walk away with a beaming smile on his face.

"Could you be any more obvious, man?" James teased.

"What?"

"She's Phoebus' cousin."

"So? He's never forbid me from having a crush on her."

"It's against the code."

"What code?"

"The man code. Relatives of friends are off limits."

"I must have missed that lesson," John muttered as Elizabeth returned with his coffee.

"There you go. Any food yet, boys?" Elizabeth inquired as she pulled out a notepad from her pocket and a pencil from behind her ear.

John and James shook their heads.

"No. No. Not yet. We're still waiting on Phoebus," James replied with a smile.

Elizabeth lingered there for a moment staring at James with piqued interest before responding.

"Oh. Yes. Yes of course. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me," she awkwardly said before running off.

John smiled and looked at his naïve colleague.

"What?" James asked.

"Seems as if I'm not the only one who's caught Elizabeth's attention."

"Oh don't be absurd."

John chuckled as Phoebus walked through the door in a huff.

He looked bedraggled as if he hadn't slept the whole night. Breathlessly he took a seat next to John and helped himself to a sip of John's coffee.

"Sure. No problem. I hadn't had a sip myself, but that's okay."

Phoebus grimaced.

"Only sugar? What are you thinking?" Phoebus said disapproving of John's coffee preference.

"And how are we this morning?" James asked.

Phoebus sighed.

"My parents have been gone all week on vacation. I was dog sitting."

"Dog sitting?" John inquired.

Phoebus nodded.

"After Odette and I moved out, my parents decided to run a Dalmatian rescue or as they like to call it...a Dalmatian Plantation."

"So basically James' mother only with dogs instead of cats."

James frowned at John's comment toward his mother.

Phoebus nodded.

"Yeah, one of them just had puppies two months ago and they kept me up half the night, whining and crying and scratching..."

"Like having a newborn, I guess," John commented.

Phoebus shrugged.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" Phoebus asked, looking to his commanding officer: James.

James smiled.

"The boat is expected to leave in about an hour. My vet friend has informed me that there is lobster poaching up around the Northern border."

"Taking a break from Sparrow hunting, I take it?" Phoebus teased.

James rolled his eyes and sipped his coffee just as Dimitri and Esmeralda stumbled in. Esmeralda was still wearing her dress from the night before. She had thrown her hair up in a bun. She hoped no one would make any comments or dirty looks, but she knew they would. She and Dimitri found his friends, Aladdin and Flynn in a corner booth.

"Should we just sit with them?"

Esmeralda nodded.

"Hey boys, mind if we join?" Dimitri asked approaching their table.

"No problemo," Flynn replied.

Esmeralda sat next to Aladdin and Dimitri sat next to Flynn. She didn't notice that the table across from them were staring.

"Looks like we have the coastguard watching us again," Aladdin said to Flynn and Dimitri rolling his eyes.

"Jeez, it's like we can't have a simple conversation anymore just because we occasionally hang around with Jack and Will," Flynn responded, slumping down in his seat.

"Speaking of," Aladdin began in hushed tones, "Everything go alright this morning?"

Dimitri nodded.

Esmeralda thought a change of subject might be good.

"So did you guys do anything fun last night?"

Aladdin shook his head.

"My dad's in town for once so we had dinner together. Nothing major. You?"

Esmeralda blushed and looked at Dimitri. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Never mind. I don't want to know," Aladdin said rolling his eyes.

"Flynn?" Esmeralda asked, wanting the attention to deflect of her desperately.

"I went to Club Agrabah with Meg last night before she saw Hercules and starting being a big baby. Thought my night was ruined but then I ran into Jasmine."

Esmeralda gasped, knowing Flynn and Jasmine's history. After months of begging, she gave him a chance until he was too much of a jerk for her and she cut him loose. He hasn't been able to give up on her since.

"Oh no! What did you do?"

Flynn looked hurt.

"Me? I didn't do anything! She's the one who dumped me remember?"

"Yeah and you haven't been able to get over it, remember?"

Dimitri laughed.

"She's right, ya know. You're like a lovesick puppy over her," Dimitri added.

Flynn sighed.

"Doesn't matter she went home with Clopin."

Esmeralda shuttered at Flynn's last statement.

"What?"

"Yep. Guess Princess Jasmine is back in bed with your bro, Es."

"Do you have to be so crude, man?" Aladdin asked, obviously offended.

"You don't know that. Maybe he just walked her to her car or took her home or something," Esmeralda reasoned but deep down she knew the truth.

Flynn rolled his eyes.

"In what universe would that PG scenario happen?"

"Lay off, man," Aladdin warned.

Esmeralda's phone suddenly went off. Tove Lo's "Habits" blaring for the entire cafe to hear, causing a scene. She quickly silenced her phone, muttered a sorry and answered.

"Hello? Phillip! Yeah. Oh! Really? Okay, be right there!" she said before hanging up.

"Trouble in tap class?" Flynn teased.

Esmeralda rolled her eyes.

"No. Phillip just wanted to chance rehearsal times. We have a show next week."

"So you're leaving then?"Dimitri asked, frowning.

Esmeralda nodded and pouted.

They ignored the comments from the peanut gallery that was Flynn and Aladdin.

"Thanks for last night," she whispered, getting up from her table and sending Dimitri a wink.

He laughed, smugly.

"No. No. Thank you, babe," he responded before giving her a kiss on the lips.

"Later, guys!"

Esmeralda left Tiana's Place and headed down the street toward her training studio. She was checking the time on her phone and didn't notice anyone in front of her.

"Careful, luv," a familiar husky voice said just before she bumped right into him.

"Jack," she muttered suddenly aware that Jack and Will stood in front of her.

"Esmeralda, darling. How are you?"

"Esmeralda. Good morning."

She just nodded in response, speechless.

"What's a matter? Didn't expect to see ol' Jack back so soon?"

Esmeralda shook her head.

"No. No. I...Dimitri told me you guys were back. I just didn't expect to see you."

"Ah, Dimitri. I take it you too had a bit of raunchy fun last night?" Jack asked winking and smirking.

Will elbowed him in the stomach.
"Ouch!" Jack grimaced.

Esmeralda frowned.

"My personal life is my business."

"Does your sister know of your business, Esme? Or rather our business?"

Will elbowed him again.

"You really ought not be doing that, mate."

Esmeralda refused to dignify his snide remark with a comment.

"Well, I have to be going now. Welcome back, Jack."

Jack frowned as he watched her disappear down the street.

"Alright, what was with all the hitting?" Jack asked as the two continued walking.

Will rolled his eyes.

"How about showing Esmeralda a bit of respect?"

"Why? Do you have a thing for her too, mate?"

Will rolled his eyes as they reached Tiana's Place and opened the door.

"Jack, you know that's not what I meant..." he stopped short as he saw three familiar faces he didn't want to see sitting at the first table.

"Well. Well. Well if it isn't Jack Sparrow and his faithful sidekick, Will Turner," James said, confidently.

Will and Jack froze, feeling utterly trapped.

"Oh, bugger," Jack muttered.

They'd been caught.