Welcome to The Black Pearl

Disclaimer: o.k. You guys once again I don't own the pirates characters from the original movie now let's get going with the story. To those of you who reviewed thank you dearly!

Sawyer took her to the deck and showed her how to clean the lower level. Then he very carefully showed her how to climb the ropes to the mast and check the riggings. After this was done he lead her to the bow and down to a second level dining hall. The sun was rising which meant breakfast according to Sawyer.

"Guys," he said putting his arm around her shoulders "this is Katarina, make her feel welcome." She felt just a tiny blush coming on before he let his arm fall and moved to sit down. Some of the men scooted down and left her a spot on the end of the table.

"Hey wait a minute, you're that girl that cried Parley!," cried Pintel. "I thought Jack kicked you off," he said grudgingly. Katarina began to explain to them her story of how she came to be aboard the Black Pearl. When she had finished dead silence came from the room around her.

"Well now Kat, that's something that takes a lot of guts," exclaimed Gibbs who already knew the story because he had been there.

"Aye!," the other men said in agreement. She looked at her watch to see what time it was.

"Dang thing!" Katarina tore off her watch and threw it down. Now all the men looked at her inquisitively. "It's um... waterlogged," she said trying not to draw to much attention.

"Speaking of which you look pretty waterlogged yourself," said one of the men.

"Oh crap my clothes!," she cried rushing out of the room.

"That one's a wild card she is, mark my words she'll be a trouble maker," said Gibbs solemnly.

"It's bad luck to have a woman on board," said Ragetti rubbing his wooden eye.

"Aye," the others agreed solemnly.

"Now will you all stop it, she's not bad luck, she's just looking for a little adventure way I hear it!," said Sawyer defensively. The room around him fell quiet and all that could be heard was the clutter of forks on plates. It was not too long before Katarina returned.

"Sorry," she murmured sitting back down.

"Where were you?"

"I had to lay out my change of clothes to dry, it was soaked from the swim," Katarina replied to Sawyer. She chewed heartily at the plate of eggs in front of her. The journey had left her unbelievably hungry and she dove in for seconds. However she soon realized that the men around her were staring at her gruff eating habits.

"What?," she said through a mouthful of eggs.

"Oh nothing," Sawyer said slyly. "C'mon we've got to go clean the deck." They entered the cool morning air, the spray of the sea hitting their faces on gusts of wind. Katarina was completely replenished after breakfast and although her muscles still ached from the swim she could now move without the feeling of walking with lead blocks tied to her limbs.

"Sawyer, would you mind checking the riggings, I don't think I can climb after this morning."

"Yeah, wasn't gonna let you climb your first day anyway, too risky." Katarina laughed and grabbed a bucket and mop which Sawyer already had on deck. Then she tied a rope to the handle of the bucket and lowered it into the ocean. She dipped the mop in and began scrubbing, Sawyer joined her after about ten minutes when he had finished with the riggings. Unfortunately the sun was all to quick to come out and it beat down on them in 90 degree temperatures. Katarina felt really bad about having Sawyer do the riggings and help her with the deck but she was exhausted. He would have been out of this heat if it weren't for her. Now sweat poured over her face and back, she felt sticky and disgusting.

"Hey Sawyer, how long does this usually take?"

"With your help, probably about an hour."

"How long did it take you by yourself?"

"Two hours, sometimes more."

"Wow, in this heat, I can't imagine."

"You get used to it after a while." Katarina looked at him smiling he was so tough yet funny and sweet but he was strong, tame yet wild, then Katarina realized he was just like her. She laughed at it and kept scrubbing at the deck. An hour had come and gone and still they weren't done. Katarina became frustrated at how completely pointless this task seemed. Then finally after an hour and a half Sawyer stood up and dumped his water, they were done. Katarina was tempted to dump hers on her head but her clothes had just dried, so she poured it over the side of the ship, just as they were going down the stairs Jack showed up.

"I want you to help bring food to the galley man," he said smirking. Katarina just sighed and followed him to a room full of food, her mouth watered at the sight of it. "He needs six sacks of potatoes, and then whatever else he tells you to do." Katarina began to pick up one of the sacks but dropped it back down after feeling it's intense weight on her sun burnt shoulders. Then she tried it again, it took her a minute but she was finally able to drag it across the hall to the kitchen.

"My name's Ben," said the cook as she set down the sack of potatoes.

"Katarina," she said extending a hand. He gave it a quick shake and then shooed her back to work. She walked back down the hall and repeated the process. Katarina was on her fourth trip out when the sack tore and spilled all over the floor. It had caught on a nail and now she had to think of a way to hide this. Unfortunately Ben showed up smirking right behind her.

"Now that's a problem lass, you'll have to wash those twice after you peel um'," he said slyly. She gathered them in her arms and put them on top of the other sacks, once she had finished Ben gave her a pot of water, a towel, and a tool to peel the potatoes. After she had peeled the first one she went to wash it. Suddenly she drew back holing in pain. The water was unbearably hot. With just washing one potato her hands were redder than her t-shirt. Then out of the corner of her eye, she caught Ben's smirk, he was enjoying this! After an hour of this constant process her hands were red and sore.

"Done?"

"Finally."

"Good then get out of my kitchen!" She walked exhaustedly down the hall towards the bunk room. Katarina looked at Sawyer angrily sitting down on her bunk while he twiddled his thumbs on the top bunk.

"You look tired," he said boredly not taking his gaze off the ceiling.

"Oh, you should have seen what Jack and Ben had me doing! I was on kitchen duty."

"Yeah, I bet you had fun with that."

"The water was so hot I swear it was ridiculous! Look just look at my hands, I think they're burnt." Sawyer came down off the top bunk and stood in front of her.

"Let me see them," he said taking her hands in his. Katarina drew back, it hurt for anyone to touch them. However she let him look at them because they felt seriously burnt. He shook his head and let them drop. "That water was hotter than it should have been no doubt, but they'll heal o.k."

"How do you know so much about injuries and stuff?"

"You're forgetting I was a newbie once too," he said giving a half laugh sitting on the end of her bunk. She had turned to face him and sat on her pillow, her legs folded like a pretzel. "Now I ain't never seen anything like what Jack has you doing now but trust me, you're not the only newcomer he's tried to scare off the ship."

"What do you mean?" Katarina was waiting for him to continue her eyes round in shock. She was so hoping that she'd get to hear the story those brown eyes tried so desperately to mask.

"Just be careful what you say and do because when Jack looks for a reason to kick someone off a ship, he'll keep looking till' he finds one," Sawyer said. His voice seemed distant as if he was recollecting an incident that happened some years ago. Then they heard footsteps and quick as a flash Sawyer scuttled onto his bunk.

"Da captain wants to see ya," said Pintel with that same gap toothed smile. Katarina followed him to Jack's quarters and she walked inside nervously. Pintel walked out quickly and closed the big wooden doors behind him.

"So you're going by Kat now right?"

"Yes, Sawyer's ingenious name for me."

"You ready to give up yet?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Well I just thought that all things considered you might want to go home," he said cautiously waiting to see what her reaction might be.

Katarina now looked at him violently, after all she'd done to prove herself to him he still wanted her gone!

"Look here Jack," she said her eyes flaring, voice bubbling into a shout, "if you still want me gone that's just great! However I wouldn't count on me leaving anytime soon! And if you think for even one second I'm ready to give up then you seriously underestimate me. I don't know how you could even think that a little teeny, weeny, bit of work is going to scare me off this ship! Like it or not Jack this is something I've waited and wished for for years so you can take that offer of yours and shove it!" (come to reality for a minute, pardon my French in the previous sentence, continue.) After Katarina had finished her spout she stood back in a huff crossing her arms on her chest. Jack seemed to contemplate what she had said, Katarina could almost see his little gears turning, he was thinking up a plan.

"Alright, when you're ready to give up you come to me." Katarina's brow furrowed as she noticed Jack's compass laid out open on the table next to the map, it was pointing right at her.

"Captain, where did you say we were headed?"

"Um...Tortuga," he said in a tone that showed he was obviously concentrating on something other than the question she had just asked him. "Goodnight Captain," Katarina said taking her leave. This event sent her own gears turning. Katarina had been standing on the south side of the room but if Jack wanted most to go to Tortuga, then that compass should have pointed north.

O.k. Two things, one I have no idea which way Tortuga is from Myrtle Beach so that was my random direction I put in and two, HAHA another evil cliffhanger! I didn't say I was done with them for good, as for Sawyer, if you're wandering what his story is just you wait, the next chapter is a tell all! So stay tuned.