What A Man Can Do

(Ashley's POV)


"When I was a lad living in England, my mother raised me by herself. After she died, I came out here, looking for my father." Will reminisced his past as he sharpened his sword, while I stood near the rope ladder, staring up at the crow's nest, trying to decide if I should go up or not.

"Is that so?" Jack responded nonchalant, not seeming very interested in the conversation.

I decided to have a little bit of fun, so I climbed halfway up and looked out over the horizon, and boy, was it beautiful. I was so ecstatic to be here, but I was also upset. I felt like I wasn't good enough for the Captain, or that he'd never like me, or that I'd mess something up. I was beyond paranoid, which made me quiet, and being silent isn't good if I wanted to make a good first impression.

A good 10 minutes had passed as I was lost in my thoughts, so I tilted my head around to see Will hanging from the sail, dangling over the ocean, while Jack was lecturing him.

"Now as long as you're just hanging there, pay attention. The only rules that really matter are these; what a man can do, and what a man can't do. For instance, you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man, or you can't. But pirate is in your blood boy, so you'll have to square with that someday. Now, me for example, I can let you drown, but I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by me onesies with the lass, Savvy? Speaking of..." Jack spun the wheel as Will fell back onto the deck. "Where is she?"

"Are you asking for me, Captain?" I shouted from the crow's nest.

"Ah, there she is. Why are you up there?" He pondered.

"I've always dreamed to climb up to the crow's nest, the view is incredible. I've never been on a ship before."

"You what?!" He burst out.

"Yes, you have Ashlyn! Don't you remember the day I met you and your sisters?" Will called.

I climbed about halfway down the rope ladder, then jumped off and landed right in front of them. Jack gazed at me like he was impressed, it made me blush slightly.

"No, I'm afraid I don't. But I know Elizabeth sure does." I grinned at Will. He turned away and looked at the ground, I'm sure he was thinking of her.

"Well, Miss Ashlyn, considerin' this is your first time to recall being aboard a ship, I shall tour you around." Captain Jack stood by me and held out his arm, I gladly accepted it. "O' course, this ship isn't as fierce as The Pearl, it'll have to do. William, take the helm an keep straight on." Jack and I walked down the stairs, to the front of the ship.

"The right of the ship is known as starboard in nautical term, and the left is port. The front is the bow, as the back is stern. Those are sails, and atop of 'em is the crow's nest, where you were."

"I believe I can remember all that, I'm going to have to if I'd like to become a pirate someday, unlike Mr. Turner." I stopped walking and released his arm.

"You'd like to live a life of crime and piracy, aye? Do you not enjoy bein' royalty?" He turned to face me.

"It's...adequate, I suppose. Rather dull in my opinion. Though I'm well on my way to becoming a criminal, aren't I?"

"Yes, I do so think you are, sailing on a stolen ship with a pirate to a pirate retreat. If you'd like to become a greatly feared and attractive buccaneer, like meself, you're going to have to get advice from the very best Captain." He grinned at me, making my heart melt.

"Where are we headed to Jack?" Will interrupted us.

"Tortuga. Now," He marched back up to the helm to take the wheel back from Will. "Can you sail under the command of a pirate, or can you not?"

"Tortuga?" Will questioned once more.

I strolled over to them and smiled, "Tortuga."


(Jack's POV)

"We should escape this wretched pit as quickly as possible." I paraded down the muddy, malodorous streets of Tortuga, with the whelp and lass at me sides.

"With a crew?" He interrogated.

Ashlyn smiled up t'me. "A few bottles of rum would be nice."

"Ah, yes, son. Well, it just so happens, that you both know a man, who knows the man who knows the finest sailors in all of Tortuga. And we will not leave this spit of land until I've bought Miss Ashlyn a drink." I then snatched her by her waist, regarding that it made her turn a bright red, alas, she faced away. Perhaps, shes tryin' to resist me? No woman could ever resist me. In a matter of time, soon, in fact, she too would fall under my charms, at the opportune moment.

She pulled away from my reach, "I must go somewhere, I won't be long."

"Where do ya think you are going, Miss Swann? You've never been here before!" I turned to look at her, but she was already walking into a garment shop. "More importantly," The boy and I continued to walk through the village, "it is indeed a sad life that has never breathed deep, this sweet, proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga, savvy? What do ya think?"

"It'll linger." He responded, giving a look 'round.

"I'll tell ya mate, if every town in the world were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted. Scarlett!" I eyed the prostitute walking my way. She then slapped me, giving me some concern. "Not sure I deserved that... Giselle!" Another harlot strolled up to me.

"Who was she?" Giselle complained.

"What?" She gave me a slap across my face, just as the gal before her. "I may have deserved that."

"You definitely deserved that Captain Sparrow." A feminine voice spoke coldly. I held my chin up with one hand, as my view shifted up from the dirt, and up a pair of slender legs. It t'was Ashlyn, posing just in front of me, leanin' against a wooden post. My jaw dropped unintentionally. She was now in a white, puffy, off-the-shoulder, long sleeve gown with a velvet, black-laced vest. A leather belt sat on her curved waist, and that revealing dress was showin' off her thighs. She had dark brown, heeled boots on her feet, and on top of her head was a black tricorn hat that looked similar to mine. She also had smudged black eyeliner, making her ocean blue eyes protrude. I must admit, presently, she was the most stunning female I've ever laid my eyes upon. "Where did you get that?" William and I stammered at the same time.

She chuckled shyly, "Supposedly, the dress I was wearing was worth a lot of shillings, so I traded it in for all of this," She twirled around, "With some left over. If I am to be sailing with pirates, I might as well look like one. Here Captain," She handed me a small fabric bag, filled with gold shillings. "Where to?" She waited for my response. I blinked a few times, still staring at her. I realized my mouth was still hung open, so I shook my head and came back to reality.


(Ashley's POV)

"Curse ya for breathing, ya slack-jawed idiot!...mother's love, Jack! You should know better than to wake a man when he's sleeping. T'is bad luck!" Joshamee Gibbs said to his favorite Captain.

"Ah, fortunately, I know how to counter it. 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 can be so confusing to other people, but I perfectly understand him, for the most part.

"Aye, that'll about do it!" Jack helped Mr. Gibbs up, as Will tossed another bucket of water onto him. "Blast, I'm already awake!"

"That was for the smell." We all agreed with Will on that one.


"Keep a sharp eye." Jack warned Will, nodding towards me before he sat down with Gibbs to negotiate. I think he meant that Will should watch out so nothing bad happens to me. Aww, how sweet!

"What do you reckon they're chatting about?" Will whispered to me.

"Oh, my guess is they're talking about gathering a crew to go after The Pearl so you can rescue Elizabeth, while Jack gets The Black Pearl all to himself," Will gave way an odd facial expression. "That is just an assumption though, of course."

Will laughed at me. "You've been acting strange lately, Miss Swann."

"As have you, Mr. Turner." I grinned back.

"How so?"

"Well," I was interrupted by a tall dirty man that waltzed up to me. Why do people keep interrupting me? Rude much.

"Good-evenin' missy. Can I buy a pretty lassie like yerself a drink?" The large, muscular man offered me.

"Um, I suppose, alright, why not."

"That's not a very good idea Ashlyn," Will worried, grabbing onto my wrist.

"I'll be right back, I promise. I'll only be a table over, let me know when we're leaving, alright? " I assured to Will as I followed the buff, bald sailor to a table. I only agreed because maybe Jack would see us and maybe he'd get jealous! It was worth a shot.

"What's a beauty like you doin' in a place like this? Are you a prostitute?" He bluntly asked me.

I nervously laughed, "No no, I'm not. I'm on Captain Sparrow's crew, pillaging and plundering. What about yourself?"

"I came here..." he paused, before looking to me with a sinister look. "to find me a sex slave and you be perfect." Everything happened so quickly, I soon understood what the disgusting man had in mind, which was a kidnapping, followed by rape, and I was the victim. I jumped up and tried running back to Will, but I was too late. The man lifted me up and slugged me over his shoulder like I wasn't a human being at all; like I was an object. Screaming at the top of my lungs, I kicked, hit, and shook every part of my body that I possibly could.

"WILL! JACK! HELP! JACCKKK!" I screeched.

"That ain't gon' do nothin'. No one can save ya, whore." He cackled at my attempts to get away, but I would never give up until he released me. I don't know what I was expecting when he asked to get me a drink. It's the Golden Age of Piracy in the 18th century, this type of thing happened daily. I'm so stupid, this is my own damn fault.

"Out of me way dogs!" The disgusting man boomed at someone in his path, just outside of the bar.

"Not till you set the bonny lass down nicely." I recognized the voice instantly, for it was the voice of the man who I could listen to talk for hours.

"We can do this the easy way," I heard another familiar voice threaten when he unsheathed his sword, "or the difficult way."

"I'd choose the first one if I was you, mate," Jack confessed.

"I'll show ya who you messin' wit'!" He shoved me off his shoulders, and I fell on my back. He then tugged out his sword, but before he could attack Jack or Will, Mr. Gibbs smashed an empty rum bottle on his head, making the very large man fall to the ground, right beside me. I yelped. After that, a whole brawl spread across the bar.

"Thank ya, Mr. Gibbs!" Jack thanked him as he picked me up bridal style. I felt weak and light-headed, either from almost getting stolen or from Jack saving me, my hero.

"Not a problem, Captain! Now off to go find us a crew!" Mr. Gibbs ran off in search of men, ready for a journey.

"Ye all right, Miss Ashlyn? William ran t'me and said you had got yerself kidnapped. How in the hell did you do that?" Jack demanded.

"I always find myself getting in trouble. The scoundrel offered me a free drink and I couldn't say no." I wasn't even close to being a fan of alcohol, but I knew Captain Jack was. He, of course, laughed at my joke. "I believe I'll be alright. Thank you both for rescuing me...you can set me down now if you'd like Captain."

"Oh, yes, here you are," He recognized he was still holding me, then quickly put me down on my feet. The three of us traveled down the dock, as the full moon shined down onto the dark waters in the bay.

So far, this trip had been nothing but amazing, besides the parts about me fainting, not breathing, fighting with Jasmine, and almost getting raped. Other than that though, I can't complain.