Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pirates of the Caribbean. I'm merely playing around with Jack (no, not in that way!) in the hopes of providing fun entertainment for others.

AN: Joanna begins to live up to her eventual title of Vixen in this chapter, but I don't want things to happen too quickly, so bear with me. Enjoy the chapter, and please review! Thanks!

Chapter 10: A True Merchant's Daughter:

About three days after my encounter with Jenkins, life aboard the Pearl had begun to change for the better. It seemed that the crewmen took their cues from Anna-Maria or Mr. Gibbs when it came to accepting someone to their midst, and the moment they saw Anna warming up to me, the others slowly began to follow.

At first, they started nodding or giving me the barest hint of a smile whenever they walked past. Over the following day or so, those half-hearted nods and smiles had developed into a grumbled 'hello' or 'good morning' or 'afternoon,' which I found a pleasant change. One man even stopped to retrieve a handkerchief that had dropped out of my pocket and return it to me, tipping his ragged hat to me in respect after I had thanked him.

However, even though Anna-Maria was beginning to be more open and friendly, with most of the men following behind, Mr. Gibbs was much more hesitant. He always seemed to need to rush elsewhere whenever I was approaching him, and he always took a swig from his flask when he looked in my direction, constantly muttering to himself about women being bad luck.

"Don't pay any attention to what he says," Anna told me once, after I had told her about Gibbs's behavior. "That's just his way. Gibbs likes to mutter, complain and sip from his flask, but once he gets used to having ye aboard, he'll soften up."

Since Anna had no reason to lie or to try and give me false hopes, I took her at her word and asked if there was a way for me to win over Gibbs, who was also the first mate of the ship. Anna looked thoughtful for a moment, halting her work on the ropes so that she could think better.

"Well, if there's one thing Gibbs loves, it's telling stories about the Cap'n," she said, jerking her head in Jack's direction, which was up at the helm. "He can't seem to get enough of putting people in awe about Cap'n Sparrow's adventures, so if you ask him to tell you about them, he'll do it. If you're able to sit there and listen to everything he tells ye, you'll probably be his most favorite person in the world."

It certainly seemed easy enough, but I wanted to make sure the idea was alright with Jack first. When asked, he seemed to think it a good idea, and agreed with Anna-Maria's plan.

"Gibbs loves to talk, but has a tough time finding people to listen," Jack explained when I'd approached him at the helm. "The men all have chores, and most of them have already heard the stories that Gibbs has stored up in that rum-soaked brain of his, so a new audience would be welcome to him. You'd best approach him once his morning chores are done, well-before he starts indulging in that flask of his."

And that was what I did. After the morning chores were finished and the men were able to relax a bit before lunch, I smoothed the cloth of my skirt and slowly approached Mr. Gibbs, who had decided to relax atop a barrel near the left side of the ship, his flask unopened in his hand.

"Mr. Gibbs?" I timidly asked. "I was wondering…if you would mind telling me what you know about the Pirate Lords?"

He blinked in surprise, then gave me a suspicious look. "What do you want to know about the Pirate Lords for?"

I explained that Jack had told me a bit about the great pirate leaders, including about him being one of them, but not much else. Then I mentioned that I loved pirate stories. That certainly caught Gibbs's attention, and without a second thought, he told me to pull up a barrel and that he'd tell me about whatever it was I wanted to hear. Happy to be making progress with him, I did just that and spent a very interesting few hours with the portly first mate of the Black Pearl.

That encounter with Gibbs had happened four days ago, and time went flying past much quicker than before. With Anna-Maria to keep me company once an a while during the day, and Mr. Gibbs telling me stories in the afternoon, my days weren't nearly as long and dull as they used to be. Even the men were starting to soften towards me, especially since I had stopped wearing dresses as of two days ago.

"You look out of place in those expensive things," Anna had complained to me once. "You've been on this ship nearly ten days, and you still wear silks, lace, and those silly hats that'll blow away if a good strong wind comes up over the deck. You almost lost one yesterday, remember? Thought the Cap'n was going to have to send one of us overboard to fetch it if it'd been blown away."

I'd blushed and asked what I should wear instead. She waved a hand towards herself, and I caught on quickly. "Men's clothes?" I asked skeptically. "Is that a good idea?"

Although I sounded doubtful, I was actually thinking how nice it would be. I imagined myself free from my damned corset, and without skirts and petticoats constantly blowing everywhere, I'd be able to move much more freely than I'd ever had before. But where would I find men's clothes that would fit me? I asked her.

Anna gave an exasperated sigh. "Foolish girl, you can borrow some of mine until we make port and you can buy some of your own."

That settled it. She proceeded to take me to her cabin, which was down near the crewmen's lodgings, and showed me inside. The space was just big enough for a bed with a trunk at the foot of it, a desk, a chair, and a few hooks along the wall for hanging things.

From the trunk, Anna pulled out a few sets of once-white shirts and a pair of brown breeches, all of them clean and patched. "I wash and sew them myself, since you can't trust a man to do a decent job on women's garments," she joked while handing them to me. "I haven't a hat that'll fit ye, so you'll have to ask Jack for one."

She offered me some boots, too, which I accepted, since we seemed to be the same sizes. We then went to my cabin, where I proceeded to change into my new garb with Anna-Maria helping to straighten me up.

It was amazing how yards of silk, satin and lace can separate a person from the crowd, and how an outfit of plain cotton shirts and pants can make that barrier vanish. Anna had even managed to find me a bandana and hat in the ship's cargo, as well as a belt and my very own pair of boots, though they were a tad big.

It took a little getting used to, me to the freedom of movement that Anna's clothes brought me, and for the men seeing me out of my silk dresses and in rough work clothes. But now that I looked like the rest of the crew, they no longer tried to tip their hats or act differently than they were used to, which they were very happy about, and since they no longer had to watch what they said, all topics of conversation were now open, and I was now privy to some very interesting talk, especially at meals.

For the entire journey thus far, I had eaten in Jack's own cabin. He had a large table set inside his quarters, and I always ate in the peace and quiet that the Captain's Cabin provided. Now that the men were open and accepting to me, Anna invited me to eat with her at supper, and if I didn't like it, I was free to return to Jack's cabin. I accepted, even though I was nervous and stayed close to Anna's side.

The presence of the pirate-woman must have given me strength, because I don't know how else I would have survived that meal otherwise. The rude jokes, the cursing, and the raucous laughter were very different from the world of manners I had grown up in, and some of what was said made me want to vomit and laugh all at the same time. However, I kept quiet, listened, and let myself become used to what was going on around me. After all, I had at least six months to a year to spend with these men, so I might as well get used to it now than later.

As one of them, Anna-Maria was able to take part in most of the conversation, and if someone made a rude joke at her expense, she quickly retaliated with a sharp comment or joke of her own, which I found very impressive. It would take some time for me to learn to do that effectively.

When the meal ended, I practically raced to my cabin, where I immediately went to bed, my head spinning from all of the foul language and jokes I had learned. Since then, I had sat with the men for one or two meals, and learned a great deal. This was a good thing, too, because just as Anna-Maria and I had sat down to tonight's supper, the news reached us that we were to dock at a port tomorrow afternoon.

Thank goodness I had gotten used to the way pirates spoke. At least now I was relatively prepared for what a pirate port would be like, and if I was very lucky, I would be able to go into town with the rest of the men and not lock myself away. I honestly hoped that Jack would let me go ashore, and if he didn't –well, I was sure I'd be able to convince him otherwise.

Walking down the aisles of the local market, I couldn't help but smile excitedly as I clung to Jack's arm. It hadn't been easy getting him to let me come into town like this, but I'd made a valid point about my going.

"Anna-Maria can't do it because she doesn't know what colors and styles I might like for myself," I told Jack this morning in his cabin. "The men can't do it because, well, they're men and know nothing about women's clothes or what I need, so I'll have to go into port to find everything."

He couldn't argue with that, but still insisted on accompanying me. "A rough port like this is no place for any woman to wander alone, and you'll need me to keep you safe," Jack insisted, his voice allowing no argument.

And so here we were, Jack Sparrow and I walking through the streets of a tiny port called San Juan which, according to Jack, was in Portugal. Looking around at all the fascinating buildings, people, and items that were being sold or traded in the marketplace, I knew that I was very far from home. True, Portsmouth had many people of different nationalities visit it, but this was so much more exotic in every way. I even saw statues and other items I didn't recognize, and Papa specialized in foreign imports!

The first place we stopped at was a stall that sold inexpensive shirts and breeches in many different colors and styles. They were all either new or barely worn condition, and the hues were so vibrant that I immediately fell in love with everything there. It was too bad I was on such a small budget, which was also one of my own making. After all, Papa wasn't here to give me more money whenever I had need of it, and a letter back to England would take ages.

"So, like what you see, luv?" Jack asked while peering over my shoulder.

I picked up a shirt and gave it a close look. It was a soft golden yellow, well put together with fine stitches, and the material was soft and light, which would make it very comfortable. The shirt also appeared to be new, with no worn out spots or patches, nor rips. I threw it over my shoulder for safe keeping and moved on to pick out breeches that I thought would be good matches. The breeches were made of the same sort of cloth as the shirt, and I quickly selected two pairs of them in brown and two in black, as those colors went with everything. They appeared to be a bit big, but big was better than too small, and those selections quickly joined the shirt over my shoulder.

A sudden tug on my intended purchases alarmed me, and I though another shopper had decided they wanted what I had already claimed. Turning around, I saw it was only Jack.

"No worries, Jo, I just thought you looked silly with them tossed all over you," he said, taking my burdens. "Pick out as many shirts and things as you need, and don't you dare be stingy."

He really shouldn't have told me that, since I would have purchased everything in the stall. Instead, I went through the shirts, selecting colors I knew suited me as well as colors that I liked. Soon, Jack was holding a stack of red, green, blue, violet, lavender, and more than a few crème or beige, shirts.

"I hope you're not going to buy the whole stack of clothes you've got piled up," Anna-Maria said, coming up behind me. "The shops here are known for robbing visiting sailors blind."

I grinned at her. My friend had gone with the men to explore the town, but had promised to find and meet me here in the market. How she'd found me, I didn't know, and thought to ask her about it later.

"Well, yes, I do want them all, though when you think about it, it really isn't all that much," I replied while we waited for the stall-keeper to finish with his current customers. I turned and grinned at her. "And I don't intend to be robbed blind."

Leaning over towards Jack, I quickly began folding the clothes and whispered, "What's the Portuguese money worth compared to English?"

He looked surprised. "About the same. Why?"

Just then, the shopkeeper turned towards us, saw the stack of clothes that I'd chosen, and grinned widely. In return, I put on my best polite smile and after folding them, put the clothing on an empty space on the wooden plank that served as the counter.

"Good day!" I said in a chipper voice. "We'll be taking these." I patted the stack of neatly folded items, but kept my hand on them.

The man grinned even wider and held up three fingers before flashing a silver coin, indicating how much he wanted: three silver coins.

Obviously, the price was outrageous, and of course, I had no intention of paying that much.

I quirked a doubtful eyebrow, looked down at the shirts and pants, looked at another stall across the street, then looked over at Jack. "The price seems a bit steep," I told him while looking at him pointedly. "That place over there seems to have better shirts at a lower price, and the woman running it seems to know what she's doing."

Jack immediately caught on. "Aye, it seems that way, doesn't it? I was going to mention it to ye, luv, but…" He shrugged.

Sighing, I took a step back, though I kept my hand still on the clothes. "I should have gone over there instead. I don't know what I was thinking coming to buy clothes from a man when a woman knows so much more about things like this."

The man at the counter narrowed his eyes. "Her clothes are no good," he said in heavily accented English. "They smell like smoke and beer, not for lady like you."

He hesitated, eyes resting on what I had chosen. "Two silver and three coppers." It was almost a fair price, but not quite. I looked at him skeptically, and he sighed. "Two silver with coppers, and I give you this with clothes."

As the man reached under the counter, Jack stood closer to me and placed his hand on his pistol. I didn't think that the shopkeeper would try anything with Jack nearby, but you never know. Still, I, too, kept a close eye on the man as he stood straight, something long and black in his hands.

At first, I thought it to be a snake, but a closer look revealed it to be a belt. It was crafted from black leather, and the buckle was steel carved to look like a seashell. It was very pretty, and added to the clothes I wanted, the price was fair.

"Done," I said, handing over the money.

Once the coins were safely in his pocket, the shopkeeper handed me a canvas sack and watched as I tucked my purchases into it. When I was finished, he gave me a broad smirk.

"You bargain well," he said grudgingly. "Have a good day."

I thanked him as Jack picked up the sack and tossed it over his shoulder before leading the way into the street, Anna-Maria following close behind. For a while, we were quiet as we walked back towards the Pearl, but the minute we reached the docks, Anna nudged me in the arm with a fist.

"Cheeky girl, you played that man like a fish on a hook!" she laughed.

Grinning, I nudged her back. "Well, you can't expect a merchant's daughter to not know the difference between a decent price and an absurd one!" I teased back.

Anna shook her head. "To be honest, I don't expect girls from rich families to do much bargaining in the first place," she admitted. "I've always seen them hand over their money without a thought as to how much they've overpaid for things."

I shrugged. "My father is the sort of man who always does his best to be sure he's not being cheated. He always knows what things originally cost, and can tell when someone is overcharging him. I was taught to watch my money and to not let others dictate what they think is a good price when I know otherwise. That way, most of my money stays with me, and the one selling goods to me only gets what they deserve."

We headed up onto the deck, where Jack set down the sack of clothing with a sigh. "Well, luv, here are your things. You and Anna-Maria can take care of this while I oversee the loading of the supplies, aye?"

Anna and I both nodded, and Jack tipped his hat to us before heading down the gangplank to the docks. Picking up the sack, I led the way to my cabin, trying to think of where to store all of my new things.

Humming his favorite song, Jack headed down to the dock to inspect what Gibbs had purchased. Food, rum, fresh water, weaponry, and some new spices from Asia and India were all being loaded, all of it from the list Jack had made yesterday.

'Not enough rum, though,' he thought, watching as crates full of bottles and barrels of the stuff was lifted up, and then down into the cargo hold. However, considering what this town charged for the drink, they'd fix that at the next port.

And speaking of prices…

Jack grinned and shook his head. Watching Joanna bargain with that Portuguese shopkeeper had been so fun, he'd had a hard time keeping a straight face. Most of the people of the tiny port of San Juan tended to think of foreigners as idiots willing to pay anything for everything, and it was rare that they found someone clever and willing enough to bargain with them.

However, it hadn't been all amusement today. Watching that man reach under the counter had made Jack suspicious, his fingers instantly reaching for his pistol, just in case. The man may have only been getting a belt for Joanna, but it could have been something much worse –most sellers had weapons hidden somewhere, which they used on people they didn't like, such as thieves or attackers. Jack had been sure that the man was reaching for a weapon until he'd produced a belt instead of a pistol or sword.

'Special note to self: teach Joanna to defend herself,' he thought while fingering the hilt of his sword.

Much as it pained him to think it, Jack knew he couldn't always be there for the girl, and if the Pearl ended up doing some plundering or sacking, Jo was likely to get hurt if she wasn't careful. He couldn't keep her locked up; she's protest that with every breath in her body if he did.

So the first thing he would have to do once they were at sea was teach her how to shoot. After all, shooting was easier than sword fighting, and once she had the basic skills of that honed, he'd teach her the ways of the sword.

A bang sounded, followed by curses as the men tried to lift a heavy crate of food onto the Pearl.

Jack sighed. For now, though, Jo would have to wait. If the men kept dropping things, there won't be a decent piece of food on the Pearl for weeks.

Stepping forward, Jack went to be sure that all was well with both men and cargo.

AN: Please review! Thanks!