Chapter 6

As both Elizabeth and Will demanded an answer of him, Jack leaned back lazily. "Why that should be quite obvious," He glanced out the tiny window and a smile of great satisfaction crossed his face. The Dauntless was now clearly alongside the Black Pearl. "I have come to visit you. Congratulate you on your upcoming nuptials, and…" He paused and gestured towards the sack Will had been carrying. "I brought you a present. You are having a wedding, no? I just adore weddings!" Waving an arm towards the barkeep. "Drinks all around!"

As if on cue, the man waddled back with another bottle of rum and several more mugs. "Here ye go, Cap'n Sparrow. Be ye 'spectin' any more o' yer friends?"

"Ah, Mr. Smith," His face suddenly sobered. "It is Smith, is it not?" Jack reached out for the fresh bottle. "Wonderful," He had opened this bottle and inhaled the aroma. His eyes, half-closed in bliss, looked up towards the man. "Some food perhaps. I've a hunger for a decent meal."

"Aye, the missus had a stew simmerin' in the back. I shall go fetch a bowl for ye," He looked to the others. "Per'aps one for all o' ye?"

"We do not desire any food Mr. uh, Smith," Elizabeth frowned. She knew the man and his name wasn't Smith so why was Jack calling him Smith?

Will pounded the table in frustration. "Jack! Commodore Norrington is out there right at this moment taking over your ship!" His arm forcibly pointed in the direction of the Pearl. "I cannot believe you are sitting in here calmly ordering a meal as if absolutely nothing were wrong."

"And drinking rum," Elizabeth added as she scowled at Jack who at that precise moment was taking another satisfying swallow of the liquid beverage he so adored.

Her voice reminded him of their time on the island. Leaning closer towards Will he lowered his voice. "Are you positive you wish to marry her?" He wrinkled his nose. "She can be rather impossible to live with," One side of his mouth lifted up in a grin as his eyes twinkled. "Could take her off your hands if you wish."

Elizabeth gasped and glared at him. She had heard every word, as even though Jack had spoken quietly, she was still close enough to hear. She suspected he'd actually meant her to hear.

"Jack, no!" Will rolled his eyes. "I intend to marry Elizabeth."

"Your problem then," Jack poured the remainder of the first bottle of rum into his mug and looked at the couple. "Now, trust me. Commodore Norrington will be quite busy for," He looked once more out the window. "At least an hour. Probably more. Plenty of time to enjoy a meal."

The barkeep appeared as if summoned with a tray filled with bowls of steaming hot stew. The fragrant meal caused several men to pause in their own conversations and follow him to the table. Jack selected one bowl, waving the tray towards Will and Elizabeth. "Do join me. Hate to eat alone."

"Jack!" The two almost shouted in unison.

"You simply must explain yourself," Elizabeth was adamant.

Will cocked his eyebrows at her tone, slightly amused. He didn't envy Jack at the moment. It did cause him to pause to think about their future as a married couple, but he did love her he thought to himself.

Jack set the spoon back in the bowl and looked at the pair. "Well, Old Norrington cannot take the ship as it isn't my ship. Well, it is my ship but it isn't which is rather difficult to explain. But essentially at the moment, it is not my ship. Martha owns it, or rather doesn't own it, but Norrington will think she owns it, so therefore he cannot take the Black Pearl. Savvy?"

He now tucked into the stew with relish.

Will looked at Elizabeth who stared right back. Both were shaking their heads in total confusion.

"No, it does not make sense Jack," Will became resigned to the fact that most likely it was one of Jack's schemes and they'd found out what they needed to know when he felt they needed to know. Sitting down, he selected one of the bowls and tried the stew. "This is good. Elizabeth, you really must try it."

"Will," Elizabeth's exasperation was evident in her tone of voice. "Really Jack Sparrow,"

"Captain," Jack shot back with a mouthful of stew. He attempted to look stern, but the spoon in his mouth managed to dispel that image.

Elizabeth laughed lightly. "Captain Jack Sparrow. Seriously. If Commodore Norrington finds you here in town he will arrest you and hang you. This time there will be no reprieve. I doubt my father will intercede on your behalf.

"Luv," Jack spoke warmly. "Trust me."

During this exchange, Gibbs and the rest of the crew had managed to rouse the musicians. They'd struck up a lively hornpipe, which had lured several more patrons into the tavern to see what had managed to get all these pirates up so early in the day. Then wenches tumbled out of their beds early in eager anticipation of earning a few extra coins. Noise meant customers and that meant money.

"Commodore Norrington will not take command of that ship," Jack pointed eloquently towards the Black Pearl. "My ship, well not exactly my ship but it is my ship. Technically it is my ship," His nose twitched as he blathered on regarding the precise ownership of the ship. "And at the moment," He glanced once again out the window towards the two ships. "He is rather tied up in an attempt to determine actual ownership of said ship which thusly means I have approximately two hours before the commodore can even begin to think of looking for me here on land."

Shaking his head to clear his mind, he grabbed his mug to discover it was once more empty as was the bottle. Peering into it, he cocked his head as the music lightened his mind. "Drinks all…"

Sudden silence ensued in the now crowded tavern as the patrons waited for him to finish. Jack suddenly realized they were no longer alone. "For my men!"

A sharp look from Ana Maria caused him to pause. "And women," She lifted her chin in response.

"Aye!" A chorus of cheers went up from his crew only to be drowned out by the collection groans of the remainder of the patrons.

Ana Maria held up a sack, clearly filled with coins. "Jack?" She asked him archly.

He gazed about at the expectant crowd and waved his arms with a flourish. "Oh, all right. Drinks all around!"

A resounding cheer went up from the crowd as drinks began to flow freely.

As the merry-making ensued, Will recalled the sack he had been responsible for. Picking it up, he hefted it onto the table. "And this?"