The dinner went by without a hitch, and once the plates were cleared away, the group of four went to the foyer to say their goodbyes. As the door shut behind them, Tazz immediately bent over and took off the torture devices known as high heels. Holding her dress up in one hand and the shoes in another, she smiled cheerily and began heading down the road.
"Well, that went generally well," Jack stated, walking hands-in-pockets beside her.
"I still say it's unnerving to eat something while it's looking soulfully at you," Tazz replied.
"Can a dead pig look soulful?"
"You'd be surprised."
After about five minutes of walking downhill, the docks came into view. To Tazz's surprise, much of the crew were taking the boats back to the Pearl and getting aboard. Jack looked up and checked the stars briefly. "Right on time," he murmured to himself.
"We aren't staying in port for the night?" Tazz asked.
"Nah. Elizabeth may say it's okay, and we may have gotten away with it tonight, but I'm wary about overstaying our welcome in Port Royal. Especially not with Norrington running around." Jack momentarily frowned, but it quickly faded. "We best be on our way to Tortuga."
"How many days sailing are we looking at?"
"Three, if the weather is on our side. Maybe four," Jack replied, lifting the boat off its side and put a hand on either side of it. "Now come on, in with ye."
Tazz walked on the sand towards the only boat left on the beach. As Jack held it still, she plopped down onto one of the seating boards, spending the next minute beating her puffy skirt into submission. Jack then pushed the boat into the water and hopped in before he got his boots wet, taking up the oars and rowing towards the ship. "Well Jack," Tazz said after a moment, "I guarantee you're never going to see me in a dress ever again. And personally, I say good riddance. Damn things are a pain in the butt..."
Jack rolled his eyes. "Eh, I can't see ye climbing up to the crow's nest in that thing, anyway. I think I'll live. The rest o' the crew, on the other hand..."
"They can bite me," Tazz interjected. "They got their whore fix in by now. This contraption is not necessary to appease them." She paused. "In fact, I don't give a damn if they're appeased of not. They can get blue-balled from here to kingdom come for all I care."
Jack winced. "Now that's just plain mean."
A minute later, the boat reached the side of the Pearl and Tazz and Jack scaled up the side onto the deck, Jack first of course. As Tazz was about to swing up onto the deck, she paused, her brow furrowing, then leaned her head towards the deck and sniffed. "Lilac?" she muttered to herself. Shrugging it off, she pulled herself on deck, Jack right behind, while a few other crewmen set to work at getting the boat out of the water.
As expected, the men on deck went back into their howling frenzy as soon as Tazz was back on board. She cast a quick glare, but quickly hid it behind a sly grin. With her long fingers, she pulled the black ribbon out of her hair, letting it cascade around her face and shaking her head coyly. And just as the men were beginning to get their hopes up for a show... Tazz rounded on them with a sneer and a middle finger.
There was a collective groan from the Black Pearl as it set off towards Tortuga.
--------------------
A day at sea passed without any interest, but that night, Jack decided to throw a random shindig. A handful of crew members dug out some instruments and sat to one side of the deck and played lively tune after lively tune while the rest of the crew either sang, some drunkenly, or danced around like children.
Tazz spent the first part of the party sitting against a rail and watching her crewmates make fools of themselves, smiling at their silliness and swinging her head in time to the music. Ten minutes later, that peaceful enjoyment was brought to a halt when Caleb skipped up to her, grabbed her hand, and hauled her out into the dancing. At first Tazz resisted, but the music was infectious and she soon found herself laughing and dancing with the rest of them.
As the song continued, Caleb passed Tazz off to Jonesy, the second of four lookouts on the Pearl. Erick Jones by full name, Jonesy was only a year or two younger than Caleb, but rivaled the Irishman in stature. He had shaggy reddish-blonde hair that fell into his eyes. Those eyes were a stormy blue color, and were never without a glint of humor. He was a renowned flirt, and with his constant wolfish smirk, his favorite target was Tazz.
"Well, 'ello there Devil," he said with his cockney accent. "Fancy meetin' you 'ere."
"Ah, yes, on the ship, of all places," Tazz replied cheekily.
Jonesy twirled her around and went skipping around the deck with her, but as well as he could dance, he eventually made a misstep. His boot somehow got caught in the large hole in the knee of Tazz's pants, and as he stepped down, the bottom half of Tazz's pant leg went with him. The loud rip didn't go unnoticed, and much of the jigging crew stopped to stare as Tazz inspected her pants.
She blinked a few times. "Well, that's just nice..."
Jonesy held up his hands placatingly. "Now wait a second, Devil. I can fix it."
Tazz stared at him incredulously. "You can sew?"
"No," he replied, getting onto one knee. "I can make it even." Before Tazz could protest, Jonesy took a hold of her other pant leg and ripped away the bottom half, indeed making her uneven pants into even shorts.
There was a long moment of silence as Tazz stared at the strips of black fabric around her boots. Slowly, she stepped out of them and kicked them away, then turned to Jonesy. "You know Jonesy, I know you're trying to get into my pants and all, but at this rate, there aren't going to be any pants left."
Tazz wasn't mad; Jonesy could breathe again. And the music and dancing continued.
Even though she and Jonesy were playfully at odds, they danced around laughing for a few more minutes before Tazz was passed off to another crew member. By the time everyone was too tired to keep merrymaking, Tazz had probably been dancing with each member of the crew... twice. Simple to say, she was wiped out. As the last note of the last song ended, she dramatically spun around and fell to the deck.
"Bed time."
--------------------
Another day and night passed at sea. On the morning of the third day, Tazz was awakened by a rapping at her door. She groggily opened her eyes and looked around in the dark. Were they at Tortuga already? No, it was still at least another half a day's journey... "Oh, this had better be good..." Tazz grumbled, getting off her hammock and pulling on her new shorts and bra. "Yeah, gimme a second!" she shouted when the knock came again.
Since she knew it was too early for it to be her watch yet, she left her ensemble at the bra and shorts and walked the two steps to the door, unlocking it and pulling it open slightly.
What she saw was the last thing she expected.
A girl looking only about seventeen was standing in the hallway. She had hair the color of gold that curled in ringlets around her face. Her wide eyes were sapphire blue and she wore a long blue dress trimmed with silver brocade. Her hands were folded in front of her, and the faint scent of lilies seemed to come off her.
Tazz had to blink a few times before it fully registered what was staring back at her. "Who the hell are you?" she finally asked.
The girl looked as if nothing was out of place. "I'm Gabrielle Cellini. Jack sent me to get you. He said you were to watch me."
Tazz went very still. "Excuse me." She pushed past the girl and walked swiftly down the hall, then bounded up the stairs and onto the deck. Judging by the sun, it was only about eight AM. She ignored the stares she was receiving and headed straight for the helm. A wolf whistle came from the crow's nest. "Shove it, Jonesy!" she snapped. She stalked up to the base of the stairs and glared up at Jack, who was staring at her as if she'd gone crazy.
"What in the world are ye doing?" he asked.
"What the hell is the big idea?" Tazz sniped. "Who's the kid?!"
A sly grin spread across Jack's face. "She's a stowaway from Port Royal. Just found her this morning in the cargo hold. Don't right know how she got in there, though."
"So let's take her home," Tazz sniped, gesturing back in the direction the ship had just come. "We've only been sailing a day."
"Why so cranky, Devil?" Jack asked.
Tazz stared at Jack for a long moment. "What time is it?"
"About eight-thirty."
"I'm up an hour early!" She headed up the stairs and stopped at the top. "Why send her to me, Jack? Did I do something wrong? Did I do something to merit a punishment?"
Jack chuckled. "No. It's just you're fairly new here too, so –"
"No. I hate people, remember?"
"Ye like the crew just fine."
"In my mind, pirates aren't people."
Jack stopped and thought a moment. "Is that an insult or a compliment?"
"A compliment," Tazz rumbled. "Jack, I am not playing babysitter to that girl. I'm not. Find someone else."
"There is no one else, Devil," Jack replied, leaning heavily against the tiller. "I need ye to watch her and to keep her outta trouble until we're done with our leave in Tortuga and we can take her back."
Tazz sighed in relief. "So she's not here permanently?"
"No! Only until we head back in that direction," Jack confirmed.
"Don't scare me like that, you jerk."
Jack laughed again. "Yeah, yeah... Now go put some proper clothes on. Ye look like you're just waitin' to get jumped on."
--------------------
Tazz felt like she had a puppy. She was a cat person, really... This girl Gabrielle had succeeded in following on her heels just about everywhere. And she never stopped talking...
"My father owns a big house in Port Royal. He's a navy captain. We're very rich and we have servants to do everything for us. And every day when Daddy comes home, he brings me a present."
Tazz whirled around on the girl. "Then why are you here?!" she snarled, holding back the urge to throw the girl overboard.
Gabrielle blinked in polite befuddlement. "It was dull, of course," she replied, sounding as if Tazz should have already known this fact.
Throwing her overboard in three... two... one... Fortunately for Gabrielle, the bell rung, signifying the change of shifts. Tazz practically bolted towards the mainmast and began to climb up into the rigging. Looking down, and to her horror, she saw Gabrielle trying to find footholds in the ropes. "Get off that rigging right now!" Tazz yelled, emphasizing every word.
Gabrielle stepped back onto the deck and looked confused. "Aren't I supposed to follow you?"
"You even think about following me up here and you will regret it," Tazz answered darkly, then continued climbing. She passed Jonesy a quarter of the way up.
He seemed surprised to see her in the rigging already. "Never seen ye this eager for watch," he said, leaning to the side to give her room to pass.
Tazz laughed humorlessly and climbed up next to him. "I don't usually have to deal with that for an hour straight," she said, jerking her head towards Gabrielle.
Jonesy glanced down. "That bad, aye?" He shook his head in sympathy. "But if it brightens yer mornin', ye got nice bosoms, Devil."
Two seconds later, Jonesy hit the deck hard.