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Chapter Seven: Tortuga

"More importantly, it is indeed a sad life that has never breathed deep this sweet proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga," Jack said finishing his little explanation of the place they were now walking through. Arabella looked around to see prostitutes and drunken sailors everywhere. The smell and look of the place was the same, dirty. She sidestepped a broken bottle of rum that had been pressed into the mud. "What do you think?" Jack asked with his arms wide.

"It'll linger," Will said as he made a face at the smell on the wind.

Arabella looked around at the place Jack seemed so at home in. She knew she should be appalled. This was everything her uncle hated and Nancy feared. She watched as a drunken sailor fell over and slumped against a wall. Yep, this is definitely the opposite of home. "I like it," she said with a grin as she looked up at Jack, who grinned back.

"You two must be mad," Will said looking around to see what was to like.

"I'll tell ya mate. If every town in the world was like this, no man would ever feel unwanted," Jack exclaimed. He smiled when he saw a red-headed prostitute walking towards him. "Scarlet!" he said opening his arms up.

She gave him a wicked smile and narrowed her eyes as she approached. Jack's head whipped to the side as she slapped him hard.

"Not sure if I deserved that," Jack said his cheek now slightly red. He turned around and saw a blonde walking towards him, it seemed to brighten him up a bit. "Giselle!"

The blonde walked up to him and glanced at the red-head already lost in the crowd. "Who was she?" Giselle said looking at Jack. She looked up to see Arabella. "And who's she?" she said narrowing her eyes and looking her over.

Jack confused, turned around and saw who she was referring to, before he could say anything Giselle slapped him harder than the red-head did.

"I may have deserved that," Jack admitted, his cheek now a very bright red. Arabella laughed as she rolled her eyes.

Once Jack recovered from his fairly hard slaps across the face, he led them through some more streets and down an alley way. He grabbed a bucket and walked over to the pig sty. Arabella could make out the sleeping form of a man amongst the pigs. Jack waltzed right up to him and dumped the bucket. The man jerked awake from the sudden and rude awakening.

"Curse ya for breathin' ya slack jawed idiot!" the man said ready for a fight. He looked up to see who the dead man was. "Mother's love! Jack! You should know better than to wake a man when he's sleepin'. 'S bad luck," he said.

Arabella looked curiously at the man, and then at Jack. "Ah, fortunately I know how to counter it," Jack said. "The man who did the waking buys, the man who was sleeping a drink. The man who was sleeping drinks it while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking," he said as he gave the man his hand. She nodded her head understanding as Will looked utterly lost.

"Aye, that'll about do it!" the man nodded catching on. He had just stood up when Will threw another bucket on him. "Blast it! I'm already awake!" he yelled at Will.

"That was for the smell," he shrugged. The man agreed seeing his point, and Arabella laughed.

The three of them turned to her, remembering that she was there. Jack smiled as he took her hand. "This is Arabella Andrews," he introduced her, "and that's Gibbs. Me loyal first mate."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Gibbs," Arabella said, " but you can call me Ella."

"Just Gibbs will do," he said with a nod.

Jack looked at her with mock hurt on his face. "How come I can't call you Ella?" he said pretending to be offended.

"You never asked," Arabella shrugged.

Jack and Gibbs led the way into a pub. It was packed with drunks and prostitutes. Ella looked at Will as they communicated their doubts about the place. Gibbs went off to sit at a table as Jack went to follow. He looked around noticing the men looking at Ella.

"Keep a sharp eye," Jack told them, though it was more to her. He went to join Gibbs who had found a small booth in a corner. Two mugs of rum already waiting.

Ella followed Will who had chosen a pole to lean on nearby the entrance. She messed with the leather corset she was now wearing. They had stopped off and got her some cloths as it was very obvious she couldn't move properly in the huge dress she wore prior. Jack had tried to give her a spare uniform he had found on the ship but it was far too big. She now wore a cream off the shoulder billowy shirt, black leather corset overtop, black belt (which carried the sword she had gotten from the sailor back on the dauntless), black breeches and black boots.

They stood in silence as they watched Jack and Gibbs talk. Gibbs glanced up at them every now and then as he listened intently. Ella tried to make out what they were saying but was interrupted by a slap on the ass. A drunken sailor or pirate leaned close to her, she could smell the rum on his breath.

"How's a bout we go have some fun, me thinks you're just the wench to play with," he loudly whispered into her ear as he groped her ass again.

Will's eyes went wide as Ella spun around and had her sword to the man's throat before he could blink. "You touch me again and it'll be the last thing that you do," she seethed through gritted teeth. She lowered her sword and turned back to face Will, thinking she'd settled the matter.

"Oh aye, but I sure as 'ell 'll do ye," he said with lust in his eyes and too drunk to realize how much of a mistake he had just made.

Ella spun around and punched him square in the face. He stumbled backwards as he put a hand to his bleeding nose. Grunting he looked up at her, his black eyes no longer lust filled, her's like an angry sea. He lunged at her taking a knife out from his belt. She dodged it and brought out her sword. He sneered at her and lashed out, this time managing to slice her forearm. She looked down as the cut started to bleed. With a smirk she lunged plunging her sword into the wood beside him. She swore at missing her target but quickly started to wiggle it out. He'd been able to recover from the dodge faster than she could pull her sword out, and grabbed her from behind. Her sword clanged to the ground as she struggled against him.

"Shouldn't we do something?" Gibbs asked looking at a shocked Will and an amused Jack.

"I'd say she's doing pretty damn well," Jack said watching her in action as she elbowed the man in the crotch. Jack grimaced and closed his own legs slightly in sympathy.

She stomped on his foot as she tried to get away, but the sailor had working boots on, the metal in the end let him feel nothing. He snickered at her attempt to injure him and pulled her back into him, his arm under her chin. She swore again as she felt his knife come up to her neck. She looked up and saw the three of them watching her. Gibbs concerned, Will shocked, and Jack cheering her on. She flashed him a smile as she gathered her strength and pulled on the man's arm and whipped him around. He was caught off guard as he thought she'd given up the struggle. He was slammed against a table and knocked out as she grabbed a bottle of rum and smashed it over his head. Jack rubbed his own head at the loud crash sound. The crowd cheered. She hadn't realized everyone had stopped and was watching her. She smiled and took the drunk's knife as reward.

Waltzing over to where the others stood she waved her prize back and forth. "Told you I didn't need saving," she said as Jack gave her an odd look, wondering where she'd learnt to fight.

They walked out back towards the dock. There was no sense in paying for hotel rooms when they could sleep on the ship. Ella walked happily back playing with her knife as she went. Gibbs was talking to Will and Jack was watching Ella with curiosity and a bit of admiration.

Once they boarded Will and Gibbs went off and Jack was heading to his cabin. She looked down at the slice on her arm and thought she'd better ask him for a first aid kit before he goes. Before she could call out his name Jack called her over.

"You need to get that sorted," he said nodding to her cut. She agreed and followed him to his cabin. It was large in comparison to hers. She went to the desk and hopped up, waiting for Jack to locate the first aid kit. He came back and took her arm in his hand.

"I can do it myself," she said not wanting to feel helpless. She took the bandage from the box he had set down next to her. She quickly found it more difficult than it looked, messing around with it as she tried to wrap it around her. Jack watched silently as she fumbled with it. Without saying a word he placed his hands over hers indicating for her to stop. She looked at him, annoyed with herself for needing help. He placed the bandage down and grabbed a bottle of rum from the desk to clean her cut. She winced as he cleaned it. He looked up to be sure she was okay. Neither said a word as he wrapped her arm. She looked down at his hands and watch them. Once he was done she looked up to thank him. He looked back, his eyes a warm brown with something in them she couldn't place. He brought his hand up and caressed her cheek. She kept her eyes on his. Warm brown meeting soft blue. He brushed one of her notorious curls out of her eyes. She blushed ever so slightly, a shade of pink on her lightly tanned skin.

"Thanks," she whispered as she slid off the desk and out of the room.

Jack looked towards the door, confused. He shook his head and took the bottle of rum, taking a swig before sitting on the bed.

~~~

"Feats your eyes, Captain. All of them, faithful hands before the mast, every man worth his salt, and crazy to boot," Gibbs said indicating the sailors that stood before them.

"This is your able-bodied crew?" Will asked sarcastically. Ella looked down the line and cocked her head, they didn't seem that bad. He didn't know them maybe they were a lot better than they looked. Jack walked down the line eyeing them one by one. He stopped in front of a man with a parrot on his shoulder.

"You, sailor," he yelled addressing him.

"Cotton, sir," Gibbs provided.

"Mr. Cotton, do you have the courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death?" he asked in one breath. "Mr. Cotton?... Answer man!" he yelled impatiently.

"He's a mute, sir. Poor devil got his tongue cut out, so he trained the parrot to talk for him," Gibbs said in Cottons defense. Cotton nodded and opened his mouth to show his tongue, or lack thereof. Jack made a face and swiped his across his teeth as if to make sure if it were still there.

"Mr. Cotton's parrot...same question," he said looking at the parrot.

"Wind in the sails! Wind in the sails!" the bird squawked. Ella looked at it questioningly and walked over to pet it. Cotton smiled, happy to have someone like the bird.

"Mostly we figure that means yes," Gibbs said eyeing her and the bird.

"Of course it does!" Jack said like it was obvious. He turned to Will, "Satisfied?"

"Well, you've proven them all mad," Will said crossing his arms and watching Ella.

She smiled at the parrot and didn't look up as she replied, "All the best people are."

"And what's the benefit for us?" a voice shouted out from further down the line. Jack frowned, recognizing the voice from somewhere. He walked down the line and looked at the sailor. His eyes covered by his hat. He removed it and he looked guilty.

"Anna-Maria!" he said trying to look happy. She glared at him with hate in her eyes. With a resounding slap Jack's face was whipped to the side.

"I suppose you didn't deserve that one either?" Will said, eye brows raised in amusement. Ella looked over to see what happened.

"No, that one I deserved," Jack said fairly, as Ella laughed.

"You stole my boat!" Anna-Maria yelled, eyes still on Jack.

"Actually-" he started in defense but was cut off another hard slap. He moved, away from the slapping range. "Borrowed, borrowed without permission but with every intention of bringing it back."

"But you didn't!"

"You'll get another one!" he said quickly, in hopes she won't smack him again at the news.

Anna-Maria narrowed her eyes at him. "I will," she said, her eyes still on Jack.

"A better one!" Ella declared helping Jack win the sailor over.

"A better one!" Jack said in agreement with a nod to Anna-Maria.

"That one," Will interjected.

"What one?" Jack turned to him confused, and saw which he meant. He looked at Will, annoyed and slightly panicked for him to so boldly give her the specific boat. "That one?!" He looked back at Anna-Maria, who was still ready to slap him again. He thought better of denying her the boat. "Aye, that one," he said almost pained. "What say you?"

"Aye!" the crew yelled in agreement. They all started making their way to the ship and Anna-Maria walked past Ella, giving her a once over and shrugging. Gibbs walked over to Jack.

"No, no, no. It's frightful bad luck to bring a woman aboard sir, much less two," Gibbs said shaking his head as he looked at Ella who was waiting with Will.

Jack looked at Ella. "It would be far worse not to have them," he said as he hurried to catch up to Ella and walk with her back to the ship.

Gibbs shook his head and followed behind.