Disclaimer: Don't own anything except original characters. All material (c) to respective owners.

Sorry for the long wait on an update, my writing muse seems to be concentrating elsewhere at the moment. I never quit on a story though and hopefully will have some more for you soon. Thank you to those of you reading, faving, reviewing and alerting. It's muchly appreciated. Now onto the update.

Chapter 37: Taunting In Tortuga

Halfway into town I froze watching Jack wince, across from us at what I knew to be a small brothel was Scarlet and she looked annoyed. His hands went up in defense, quickly removing from around my waist when she approached. Per his usual before he even got the chance to explain a crack rang out and his head whipped to the side. "He's going to get that a lot I think." He rubbed his now very sore cheek and glowered after her, she easily sauntered off waving to someone further down the street. "Giselle." He followed my curious gaze and sighed knowing what was coming. I caught her wrist before she could connect with Jack and shook my head, clearly she wasn't as harmless as she looked and I found myself flat on the ground.

"Ye stay out of it wench." I sighed irritably on the ground where I lay, I then reached over yanking her skirts, and she promptly fell beside me with a curse. "I warned ye girl." Her voice was full of venom.

"I don't take warnings seriously." I caught her wrists the minute she rolled over to fight me, I then lifted my knees and sent her to the side. "I don't fight nicely either." I climb to my feet dusting myself off and reached over grabbing Jacks arm, I then proceeded to march us both to the "Faithful Bride" as fast as my feet would allow.

Once inside the familiar tavern Jack lead the way to the farthest corner, and called over one of the barmaids. She took his order and left us alone to discuss whatever was clearly going through his mind, to my surprise he pulled out a familiar book and started to study it carefully. "Is he hoping to attract attention?" I eyed him curiously; he took no notice and continued to concentrate on the book in hand. Seeing he had something planned I studied the room for signs of someone recognizing the book and us, sure enough a group of about four familiar thugs were present across the room. "He just has to attract them." I rolled my eyes watching the waitress leave two glasses of rum and sway off somewhere.

I flicked the book finally getting his attention. "This is suicide…

"Ye say it like it's a bad thing love." He smirked watching my expression turn to one of surprise and annoyance. "I need to find out where Dexter is and sort this out. If not, then we have to leave tonight." I groaned he always had a catch with stopping here.

"You already got attention." He glanced casually over at the now standing three men, there had been four. "Apparently they sent one off to get help." I rested my head against my palm; this was turning out to be an interesting night.

"Aye…it seems that way." That cocky grin of his unfortunately was catching and I found myself slowly smiling in turn, it couldn't be that bad right?

He slid the book away from sight and stood after we both finished off our rum; he then easily led the way to the back and slipped out among an alley. My nose was assaulted with a battery of smells, rotten fish, old food, shell fish, shells from clams and oysters and more I cared not to think of. "You could have chosen a better alley to escape down." He offered me an apologetic smile and started down the fowl smelling thing. I heard a crunch and winced seeing what might have been a living creature at one time, now under my foot and groaned. I was feeling not only a bit sick, but was very disgusted with the situation at the moment.

Crash

"Oiy." Jack glanced up at a very startled looking Anders and sighed in relief. "I felt like I ran into a wall." Anders smirked offering Jack a hand up from the ground.

I studied them both thoughtfully. "Walls move…he doesn't…" I glanced over my shoulder hearing a voice shout. "We need to go Jack." He nodded hearing the other three catching up and grasped my arm, the three of us bolted off into another alley.

Ten alleys, and several turns later I felt not only lost, but was very tired of running. Anders was looking out one alley and Jack the other, somewhere we had lost the pursuers and ourselves from what I could tell. I flopped down on an old barrel and yawned drowsily, I was starting to feel tired again and things had just livened up. Anders slipped out into the open leaving us behind. "What is he doing?" I wondered feeling Jack hoist me to my feet and motion to follow him.

The minute we were out of the alley, I turned hearing voices and realized that Anders may have slipped our friends; but we didn't. Jack cursed turning down the opposite way and we both made a dash for alley cover. Another maze of alleyways, things I would rather my nose forgot and side alleys off from crumbling buildings, we finally stopped to catch our breath. I glanced up briefly realizing we weren't that far from the docks and thankfully the Black Pearl was in sight. He caught his breath glancing out of the alley and checking to see if all was clear, he then grasped my hand and we were off again. Running madly through crates, crowds, and occasionally ducking things on our way. Before we got to the Pearl someone kindly stepped into our path, Jack froze with a sword pointed to his nose and I felt arms wrap around me from behind.

My feet were no longer on the ground and whoever had a hold of me didn't exactly look pleasant, from what I could see at least. "Hello Jack." I recognized toothless right away, better known as Dexter. "Ye were seen wavin tha nice book aroun at the Faithful Bride…I woul very much like it." His voice was dangerously low and his expression far from amused.

"What book?" I didn't like the smirk on Dexter's face, and could tell Jack didn't either.

"Ye know wha book." Dexter's eyes fell on me. "Tha girl has created a good deal of problem for me…I coul easily ave him rip er apart." I winced feeling the idiot who had me tense, ready to carry out the threat. "Or…" his eyes narrowed. "…much worse, ye seem fond of tha one." A familiar woman stepped from the group and smirked at me, she was about to get her revenge for me kicking her butt back in the brothel, where Jack fought with the jerk helping Dexter out at the moment.

"He's fond of her…I could tell." The girl brushed aside her hair and adjusted her dangerously low cut dress. "Ye better listen to him." She sauntered over to the one that run the brothel and smirked gleefully at my predicament.

"He's Captain Jack Sparrow…you think too much. I'm basically a pawn to deal with an old enemy." I saw his gaze slowly turn to me and saw a small smile at my choice of words. "We both know better, they don't and I want to keep it that way." Dexter's eyes seemed to brighten at this.

"Ah, he won min…" Dexter paused nodding slightly at the guy holding me. "If we cut yer pretty little throa then." I closed my eyes watching Jack react to this and draw his sword. "Though so."

Jack realized exactly what he had done and almost groaned aloud. "Stupid mate, she had the right idea." He studied me and saw me shrug or at least attempt to. "Thought what? What makes ye think I wasn't going to do it for ye?" I felt my eyes widen in surprise, I knew he wasn't serious but his tone said otherwise. "Like she said, ye think too much." He then leveled his sword with my throat watching the guy holding me, step back slightly.

"I trust him." I closed my eyes and hoped I didn't look as worried as I felt. "Yer serious Jack?" Dexter observed the guy holding me and nodded slightly again. "She's useless, let her down."

Once my feet were on the ground, I ducked the others waiting to grab me, made a show of dodging past Jack and ran full tilt to the docks. "Got to get to Gibbs." I didn't want to leave Jack like that, but he needed help and I was about to get it.

--Jacks POV--

"Bloody hell…she's quick." He watched Blair run full tilt in the direction of the Pearl and forced himself not to smirk, she was about to get help and all he had to do was stall. "Ye just caused me my leverage." He scowled lowering his sword when he heard a pistol cocked.

Dexter watched Jack slowly return his sword to his side. "So sorry Jack." He watched his crew slowly circle him. "Ye have somethin I wan and ye aren leavin till I get it." Jack knew by Dexter's tone it meant he wasn't leaving alive, if they could help it.

--Original POV--

I slid across the deck thanks to someone who had recently mopped the thing; I landed with a grunt and stared up at the dark sky above me. "Ouch." I turned to the sound of running boots and spotted exactly who I was looking for.

"Ye alright Blair?" I nodded. "Where be Jack?" Gibbs heard Anna-Maria land from her watch at the crows nest and walk over quickly.

"In trouble…big trouble." Anders heard me talking to the others and come over with Ragetti and Pintel; they were still holding the mop and bucket. "You two." I sighed getting to my feet with Anna-Maria's help.

I explained as quickly as possible and soon was being followed by Gibbs, Anna-Maria, Anders, the mopping duo and a few others. I led them to Jack as quickly as possible and watched them split in different directions. Jack stood there in a circle of very verbal and angry people. I could hear Dexter continuously threatening about the book and watched the familiar woman draw a throwing dagger. "No you don't." I ran full tilt at the barrels behind her and smacked into them. Several fell at once and pelted her along with another couple of the men ganging up on Jack.

"What…

Anders all but threw a very surprised Dexter overtop of some crew and watched them all collapse. "Thank ye mate." Jack smirked returning his sword to hand and joining the fight.

I watched the others fight carefully taking out my own share of the morons; unfortunately she woke up from her collision with the barrels and had the knife at the ready. "Knife." I felt the blade against my throat and was alert to danger.

"Ye be comin with me girl…he is fond of ye and ye two put up a great show." I felt the blade tighten against my skin and sighed, I didn't dare let anyone know I was in trouble and wondered briefly if they would notice.

"Goin somewhere?" Anna-Maria had her sword pinned right into the girls back. "Let her go…yer about to find out wha this feels like." She released her hold on me and turned to face Anna-Maria.

"You made her mad…not good." I smirked at one of Jacks better known lines and turned to finish the fight, Anna-Maria could handle her easily.

Deciding on an interesting tactic, since everyone was currently distracted, I climb up on top of some more crates and dove at three men all ganging up on both Jack and Gibbs. This fight was getting far more out of hand then the last ones; he shouldn't have brought the book with him and exposed it to the open. "I am going to have to give him a piece of my mind after this." I kicked off someone who attempted to pin me down, and was back on my feet sword at the ready. Jack and I were back to back with Gibbs, and Anders on either side of us.

I ducked watching a sword nearly cut my hair in the process. "You and I are talking after this…my dear captain." I heard him curse briefly before kicking out at someone. "Capeesh?"

"What?" I turned easily ducking another and kicking them hard into a group running at us. "Ye need to speak English love." Anders threw another individual overhead; I was again amazed by his strength.

"I'll speak English…Later." I ducked ignoring his amused retort and watched several more individuals get themselves hurt, fly overhead, or crash into various objects around us. Finally there was enough of a retreat for us to get back to the Pearl, to my surprise Jack lifted me over his shoulder and chuckled at my annoyed choice of words. "I get why he's being smart, but this is not cool." I sighed seeing Anna-Maria try to cover her amused expression in vain, I then scowled sticking out my tongue at her.

I was on my feet on the deck and observed Jack stating orders, and the others getting around ready to sail out. For about ten minutes I stood there considering my very long lecture and decided against it at the moment. I made my way across the deck and up to the helm; he was clearly amused by my lack of conviction, which reminded me exactly how arrogant he was. This sadly also reminded me exactly why I liked him so much; his dark eyes were amused meeting mine almost smugly.

"You…" he motioned Gibbs over, which promptly cut off my start of the lecture I had in mind. "That isn't going to…" he pulled me over to the side of the ship in the shadows and kissed me, successfully stopping the lecture again. "Jack I'm…" he repeated the kiss and continued successfully cutting off every single thing I tried to say.

"Ye done yet?" I narrowed my eyes in response to this. "Ye aren't going to lecture me love, won't let ye…clearly I knew what I was doing." He smirked smugly, I just glowered at him.

I snorted and stepped back, hoping to get at least one sentence out. "You knew what you were doing alright…" this time he pulled me close and refused to loosen his grip. "Let me finish or I swear I will bite." He chuckled his eyes sparking with mischief at my retort.

"Go ahead…it might get interesting." I wanted to growl, but had the feeling it would only amuse him further. "Ye be quick on yer feet, and clever enough to be a pirate. I had nothing to worry about." I still wasn't done, but he had successfully stopped me from saying more.

"Why can't I win…I had a lecture planned and you talked me out of it." I sighed defeated and made a face feeling him pull me closer to him.

"Because if I let ye win, I wouldn't be who I am and then…

"Oh shut up…I got the point. Pirate." He smirked leaning down and again claiming my lips with his. "Now what…clearly they're angry and we aren't out of hot water yet." It was his turn to make a face.

He slowly released me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Ye know how to kill a mood." I couldn't help but giggle at his expression. "We go see Tia Dalma…then go from there." I rose a brow at his thoughtful expression.