(A/N: Alrighty then, we have finally gotten too it. Chapter one was character introduction, chapter two had us catching up with jack and the crew, and chapter three we got some backstory and got to know some of our characters better. Now that all that's out of the way, we can get to the actual story. I hope you're ready, because now the real adventure begins. Time to get to the actual story.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 4: Tortuga

"Tortuga a-hoy!" came a cry from the crewmember in the crow's nest.

Jolene looked up from swabbing the deck at the announcement. Several other crewmembers did too, but Jolene suspected that none of their hearts were racing the way hers was. For multiple reasons. And one of those reasons had to do with what she knew was going to happen now that the Jolly Roger had its target in sight.

The door to Hook's quarters burst open, and the captain came out. He approached the crewmember at the wheel, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Take us down here. We'll go the rest of the way on the water."

Jolene was afraid of that; she always hated this part. And because it made her feel better, she hurried over to the mast and wrapped her arms around it. A few crewmembers chuckled at her, but she didn't care; this was the only way to prevent herself from getting sick.

The ship made a sudden dive, and Jolene felt her stomach jump up into her chest. These dives were the worst. The Jolly Roger would do them whenever it came down on another ship it was preying upon, and each and every time she was afraid that she was going to go flying off the deck; though that didn't seem to be a problem for the other crewmembers. Maybe it was just something they had gotten used to, but Jolene had no intention of getting used to it. If all went well, she would be off this cursed ship forever.

And that was one of the other things that was making her nervous. It was impossible to escape the Jolly Roger while they were at sea, or rather, in the air, but on land, she would have a chance. She fully intended to find Jack Sparrow, just as she said she would, but she had her own agenda regarding the legendary pirate.

Besides, with as ruthless and merciless as Hook was, she didn't fully trust him. Even if he did spare her, he considered her part of his crew now, and like he said, a member of his crew was meant to stick around until the job was done. But she had no intention of going to some timeless magic island so he could find his endless treasure chest and kill some flying boy.

Which left her with only one option, making a run for it. But to do so would be considered being a deserter, and that never ended well. She shuddered at the thought of what Hook would do to her if he caught her. If he did, she had a feeling that she would be getting even more intimate with his hook that he was. Meaning she would probably find it buried in her gut, splitting her up to her throat.

As the ocean rushed up to meet them, the ship suddenly pulled out of its dive and leveled out. Walls of water sprayed up around them as the ship hit the ocean, and the Jolly Roger settled on the surface, swaying forward and back. This earned a cheer from the crew and a sigh of relief from Jolene at finally being on the water rather than in the air. But her relief soon gave way to nausea, and she rushed for the side of the ship, just in time to vomit.

An unpleasant moan escaped her and she wiped her mouth. A few moments later, she became aware of someone coming up beside her. She didn't even need to look to know who it was, his air of menace was enough to tell her.

"You'll need to get over that motion sickness," Hook told her.

She looked up at him with an irritable glare. "I don't like flying."

"That is something you'll just have to deal with; you're a part of my crew after all." He nodded at the horizon. "And the time has come for you to do your duty."

Jolene looked in the direction he had indicated, seeing the port of Tortuga in the distance. She had been there several times before with her mother, but had never had the pleasure of being there at the same time as Jack. Which was a problem she had to make Hook aware of.

"You do know that there's a chance he won't be there right now, right?"

Hook glared at her, as if he found her question foolish. "Of course I'm aware. I'm no fool. A pirate's place is at sea, but they must find port at some point. If Jack is not here, then we'll find out where he went, and we'll go after him."

"Considering the people will know where he went."

Hook let out a laugh. "No fear of that. If the things you've told me about Jack are true, then there will be gossip about him. He'll have to recruit people for his crew, and thus tell where he is heading. We'll find out where he's gone off to. And if we can't, then we'll simply wait here until he returns."

She gave him a serious look. "That could be months. Have you been away from your magic island for that long before? You said you start aging again when you're away from it."

This had been meant as a way to make him second-guess his decision, but it just made Hook smile. "Worry not, my dear. Physically, I may be older than you, but I still have many more years left in me before age begins to affect me. Aging a few months while I wait for Jack to return will be of no concern. Besides," his grin widened, "while we wait for him to return, we can go back to doing what we do best. It's been ages since we've been able to behave like real pirates."

She raised an eyebrow at that. "What about raiding and looting those ships for resources?"

He waved this off. "An essential chore, even if it's pirate-based. Raiding, plundering, taking over ports, searching for treasures, that's what we truly miss. There's so much more to pirating than simply commandeering random ships for resources. Was not your mother a pirate?"

Jolene didn't answer. It was true that her mother was a pirate, and while all pirates lived outside the law, there were different degrees of piracy different pirates followed. Many had a code of honor they followed, and were pirates for the thrill, the freedom, the adventure. But then there were the more ruthless and wicked ones, ones like Hook, who enjoyed being a pirate for far more sinister reasons, who enjoyed nothing more than slitting throats and sending other ships to the bottom of the sea. That was not the kind of pirate her mother was, nor was it the kind she wanted to be, or be around.

Hook seemed to mistake her thoughtful look for something else. "Ah, I touched upon a sensitive subject for you. My apologies. But not to worry, once we find Jack, you'll be able to find out how to bring your mother back." He looked at his hook, and slowly swiped it through the air, as if imagining slashing someone with it. "And I'll be able to get the compass that leads me to Pan."

Jolene shuddered. "And your treasure," she pointed out, trying to change the subject.

Hook gave a small nod, as if his treasure were but an after thought. "Aye, and the treasure, of which you'll get your own reward from." He looked at her, his red eyes holding a dark promise. "That is, unless you fail to uphold your end of the bargain."

Jolene looked away so he wouldn't be able to read her expression. She really hoped she didn't fail. And she wasn't referring to their bargain. "Speaking of which, I think it would be best if I went ashore alone. Jack is known for being… not cowardly exactly, but he's known for fleeing at the sign of trouble." Her eyes drifted to his hook. "And since your reputation precedes you… Well, let's just say that he may decide to make a run for it."

Hook stared at her long and hard for several moments. Then his eyes drifted to his hook and his eyes narrowed. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Maybe it would be best if I stayed behind. In that case… Mr. Smee!"

Jolene's gut clenched as he called for his first mate, and a few moments later, a short, chubby, balding man came waddling over. He came to a stop beside Jolene and saluted Hook.

"I'm here, Captain," he said pleasantly. "How may I be of service?"

Jolene resisted the urge to move away. On the surface, Smee seemed like a jolly person. He was kinder than anyone else on the crew, was fiercely loyal to Hook, and seemed, for the most part, completely harmless. However, there was something about him that set Jolene on edge, something that made her even more uncomfortable than Hook. It was something in his eyes, something that suggested that a part of him wasn't right in his head, like something was broken inside. It was like he didn't understand the difference between right and wrong, as if slitting someone's throat and giving a friendly pat on the back were no different from each other.

It made Jolene fearful of what he might do. Not that he would go out of his way to do something horrible, but that if someone told him to, he wouldn't hesitate to gut a person without batting an eye, and all with that same pleasant smile on his face, as if he didn't have a care in the world. Fortunately, he only seemed to take orders from Hook. But if the captain ordered him right here and now to blow her brains out, he would do so without a second thought, and feel no different than if Hook had asked him to fetch her a cup of tea.

At least with Hook she could feel her way around him and predict what he would say and do, but with Smee, there was really no telling. And that made Jolene feel immensely uncomfortable. The guy could be the nicest man in the world, or he could do the most horrible thing possible and feel no different either way. He could do anything at any moment, and that made him unpredictably dangerous.

Hook, however, showed no concern to the dysfunctional mindset of Smee, and seemed to trust him completely. Possibly because his first mate had no reason to ever go against him even in the least, because there was nothing he wanted or felt about anything.

"When we make port," Hook told him, "take one or two men and go ashore with Miss Jolene here. Find out what there is to know about Jack Sparrow and report back to me. If you actually find him, have Miss Jolene get the compass from him, by any means necessary. That was our arrangement, was it not?"

He fixed Jolene with his crimson gaze, and she nodded. "Yes, that was the deal."

Smee smiled just as pleasantly as ever as replied, "Aye, sir," but then demonstrated his broken state of mind by asking in the exact same tone with the same pleasant smile on his face and twinkle in his eyes, "And if she should fail or go back on your bargain, what shall I do? Shall I kill her, or bring her back here to have an example made of her?"

Jolene tried not to shiver as she waited for Hook's response. Much to her discomfort, Hook just smiled. "Oh, I trust she will follow our accord. She's too smart to go back on her word. But if she does, well, I trust you to make the correct decision."

Smee just nodded and continued to smile, then glanced at Jolene without the slightest trace of hostility or unpleasantness, as if he hadn't just suggested killing her or worse if she made a run for it. "I look forward to going ashore with you, Miss Jolene."

She hesitated before giving him a small nod. "As do I, Mr. Smee."

She then watched as the first mate turned around and walked off, not looking the least bit suspicious of her. And honestly, Jolene didn't think he did suspect her in the least, he was simply making sure he had his orders down in case she did decide to make a run for it. If she did though, she thought she could get away from him. As uneasy as he made her, he was also a bit of a bumbling fool, but in a way, that made him dangerous in a whole other way. She would have to wait for right opportune moment to make her escape. Because if she failed…

She didn't want to think about it.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

"Can you believe our luck? Never thought we'd sail for the Black Pearl again."

"Least not with Jack as captain. Always did think he was the best."

"Perhaps we shouldn't have betrayed him."

The current conversation taking place was happening between two particular pirates who had been a part of the Pearl's crew before. For many years, Ragetti and Pintel had been loyal members to the mighty ship, though not always necessarily to its captain, as they were known for mostly looking after themselves.

Having taken part in the mutiny that originally robbed Jack of the Pearl, and then falling prey to the immortal curse of Cortez's treasure, the two had become humbled after becoming mortal once more. However, they were still, and always would be, pirates at their core, and so had also gone along with stealing Jack's ship and leaving him behind a second time, they had just felt bad about it that time.

But it seemed that karma had caught up with them again when they came up against the Queen Anna's Revenge. Fortunately, they had been among those who had managed to abandon ship before it fell prey to Blackbeard, escaping in a lifeboat with the others who had managed to get off the ship in time. They had been trying to make their own way ever since, joining smaller crews and making do with smaller jobs.

That is, until they had heard tale of the Black Pearl sailing once again under its true captain. Ragetti and Pintel had kept trying to rejoin the crew every time word reached them that the Pearl was recruiting, but always missed the opportunity, arriving after the ship had set sail. But it seemed as if luck had been on their side this time, as they finally managed to gain positions on its crew, and this time they intended to stay there. And while Jack had been a little, and understandably, hesitant about recruiting them, Mullroy and Murtogg had vouched for them.

"Just know I'll be keeping an eye on you," Jack warned them. He then glanced at the patch covering Ragetti's missing right eye. "No offense."

For a moment, Ragetti didn't seem to know what he should be offended by, but then it clicked, his hand going up to brush against his eye-patch. "None taken."

Pintel nudged him. "Don't worry about it. If this job pays off, you can finally get a real glass one."

"So long as it's not another wooden one."

"You could have an eye made of gold if that's what you want," Jack told him as he leaned back in his seat with his feet up on the table. "That is, if we ever get underway. Mr. Gibbs, how we doing on recruitment?"

Sitting beside him, Gibbs looked at the list of members who had signed up for the crew. When it came to pirate code, there were rules that were usually universally accepted. When the job was completed, the captain, since they own the ship and set the job, essentially making them the manager, received fifty percent of the loot while the crew divided up the rest. Based on whatever the job was and what the payoff would be, people would sign up to join the crew.

When a job was finished, the crew would usually go their separate ways, though there were those who remained loyal to the ship and became permanent crewmembers, but more often than not, they would simply depart, unless the captain had another worthwhile job planned after the first one was finished. However, when the job was something that fell into myth and legend, it could be harder to recruit members for something that might not be true, even if the payoff was said to be promising.

Fortunately, many myths and legends did indeed prove to be true, or have some basis in reality, and so there were enough people willing to sign up, especially since they had a map as evidence, and Gibbs was able to give Jack a satisfactory nod. "Aye, I think that should be a big enough crew."

Jack took his feet off the table and stood up. "About time. I was running out of rum."

Which was most definitely not true, as he still had over half a bottle yet, but perhaps in Jack's eyes, that was his definition of 'running out'. Fortunately, he always made sure he was well-stocked with several barrels full whenever the Pearl left port, though it would always be almost out or completely gone by the time it returned.

Gibbs got up as well. "I'll notify all recruits that we'll be heading off shortly."

Jack gave a nonchalant nod. "You do that." He reached up and popped open his compass, watching as it pointed him in the direction of the treasure he sought, and a smile grazed his face. "I'll get us our heading."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

"Jack Sparrow?" repeated one of the two women Jolene asked about. "Yeah, he's here alright."

"Recruiting a new crew for a big job, he is," the other woman repeated. "Wonder when we'll see him next."

"Certainly not when he told us he'll be back."

"Ain't that the truth."

Jolene raised an eyebrow at the blonde and redhead, whom she assumed were prostitutes, though she didn't want to judge. She couldn't quit tell if they liked Jack or hated him, as there seemed to be a bit of both. They were both watching her with looks of what may have been a combination of pity and jealousy.

Tapping her fingers against the side of her crossed arm impatiently, Jolene waited for them to say more, but the two women seemed more interested in raising their complaints about Jack rather than giving her information. "Could you tell me where he is?"

Both girls puckered their lips in disapproval, and the redhead spoke up first. "Jack don't tell us where he be going. Do he, Giselle?"

"Aye, Scarlett. He just takes his fill of us and then leaves." She held her chin up high at Jolene. "Take my advice, lass, don't be involving yourself with that one. He'll just disappoint you."

"That's for sure."

Jolene understood the impression the women were making and made a face. "I assure you, that is not why I'm looking for him." She glanced back at Smee and the two other crewmembers that had accompanied her, then looked back at the women. "He has something we're looking for."

Giselle just smirked. "Aye, I'll bet he does."

They both walked around Jolene, going up to the two crewmembers while ignoring the short, overweight Smee, and began fawning over the much taller and more muscular crewmates.

"Why don't you two forget about whatever it is Jack has," Giselle suggested.

"And come see what it is we've got instead," Scarlett finished for her.

The two men smirked, looking rather tempted by the offer. Smee, however, didn't react in the slightest, and instead shimmied his way between the two women and the men. "Very kind of you, ladies, but I'm afraid we'll have to pass. It's very important that we find Jack Sparrow as soon as possible. Our captain is waiting."

Looking irritated, the two women took a step back, both of them placing their hands on their hips.

"Is that so?" Scarlett asked, and glanced at her friend, who gave a small nod.

"In that case," said Giselle, "when you see Jack, could you give this to him for us."

She suddenly slapped Smee across the face, snapping his head to the side, and then Scarlett did the same to his other cheek, snapping Smee's head the other way. The pleasant smile never left the man's face. He simply adjusted his glasses and tipped his red stocking cap to them.

"I do not think it will be the same coming from me," he told them, not looking the least bit bothered by the assaults, "but I shall deliver them to you."

The two women simply turned their noses up and walked off. Jolene just watched them go before looking back at Smee, wondering how he was so unaffected by everything and always maintained a cheerful attitude. "Well, at least we know that he's here. Do you want to go tell the captain while I continue asking around?"

It was a ploy, and an obvious one, she knew that, but Smee still didn't look the least bit suspicious. He did, however, shake his head at her suggestion. "No need to report back until we have something to report. Let's find out where Jack is first, then we'll report back."

Well, Jolene had known it would be a long shot; she had at least hoped to make one of the men leave. But she was already improvising, so she simply nodded and they moved on.

They questioned other people, asking about Jack's whereabouts. So far, all they managed to confirm was that he was here in Tortuga, but not where. He was recruiting more crew for a job, and so was making his way through Tortuga, trying to get more people to sign up.

Smee allowed her to handle the questioning, and the two crewmembers followed his lead. However, Jolene deliberately avoided asking the real question that would lead her to Jack; where was the Black Pearl docked? But there was a reason for that.

As they made their way through the filthy, active streets, Jolene casually glanced through the windows, hoping to catch sight of the pirate they were searching for. As they passed a particular shop, however, she caught sight of something she thought might be useful, and so she paused.

"I'll be right back," she told Smee, and headed for the door. "I just want to see if this shop has a place I may relieve myself real fast."

Smee didn't object, but he moved to follow her. "I'll accompany you. The captain told me to keep an eye on you."

She made a show of rolling her eyes. "Honestly, where am I going to go? One way in, one way out. Give a girl some privacy."

Smee paused at that, then gave her a nod of acknowledgement. "Understood. We'll wait right here."

She gave him what she hoped looked like an appreciative smile and slipped inside. She made her way down the aisles, ducking out of sight from the window, and made her way over to the display she had seen. As she walked by, her hand shot out, quickly nabbing what she had spotted off the shelf, and slipped it into her jacket. Having quick hands was something she was always good at.

With her main objective complete, she made her way through the shop and up to the shop owner, who she greeted with a pleasant smile. He looked up at her, returning her smile with one of his own.

"Good evening, ma'am," he greeted in his best salesman voice. "How may I assist you? We have many valuable items for sale."

And all were likely either stolen or bought from someone who stole them from someone else. Tortuga was, essentially, a pirate town, and this was just one of the many shops they sold their loot to after pulling off a job.

"Yes, I do hope you can help me," she told him, putting on her best seductive face and speaking in her most flirtatious voice. "I'm sure you have all sorts of people who come in here."

She pushed her chest out, showing off her breasts that were somewhat exposed at the top of her chemise, and just as she expected, the shop owner's attention was drawn to her bosom. "Indeed, ma'am. I've had my fair few of individuals come in."

Keeping him distracted, she rested her hands across the counter, drawing small patterns with her index fingers. "Have any of them ever been Jack Sparrow?"

This seemed to draw the man's attention away from her chest. "Sparrow? He's stopped by to try and make a few sales before, but not for a long while. Years ago in fact. Last time he was here, he sold me a ship in a bottle, said it was a victim of Blackbeard. I have it on display here."

He gestured to the shelves behind him, upon which were his most valuable and expensive items. Jolene looked up to where he gestured, seeing what was indeed a ship in a bottle, but her eyes widened when she saw that it was not merely a model that was commonly found in every shop she had ever been to. It was an actual ship, shrunk down to but a few inches long, and it was swaying back and forth with the bit of ocean that was also contained in the bottle.

"A real ship in a bottle," the shop owner told her. "That's from real magic being cast on it. Cost me a fortunate, that did, so it's quite expensive. But I suppose I could be talked into giving a lovely lady like you a discount…"

And Jolene was putting a stop on that train of thought right now. Why was it so many men had their minds in the gutter? But then again, she supposed it was her fault for flirting with him the way she did. Talk about her plan backfiring.

"Can you get it out?" she couldn't help asking, her curiosity piqued.

The shop owner shook his head. "Not without destroying it in the process. At least that's what I was told, and I don't intend to try. It may not be worth as much as it would were it full size, but it is still an actual ship in the bottle. Would you be interested in buying it?"

"Actually, I'm more interested in the man who sold it to you," she replied, keeping up the flirtatious act, but toning it down. "Where is Jack? Do you know?"

Looking somewhat disappointed, the shop owner shook his head. "Afraid not. I hear he's somewhere in Tortuga, but I couldn't tell you where."

She leaned forward a bit. "Then how about the Black Pearl? I'll just wait for him by his ship. Any idea where it's docked?"

The shop owner perked up, glad that he could be of help. "Aye, everyone knows the Pearl when they see it. No one save the crew is allowed on while the captain is away though."

She smiled pleasantly, reaching out and placing her hand on top of his. "That's fine, I'll wait by the dock. If you could just tell me which dock, I would greatly appreciate it. Do you have a map of the island to show me where it is?"

He nodded. "Certainly, ma'am. One moment, please."

He walked out from behind the counter and headed down an aisle. He returned less than a minute later with a map of Tortuga that he laid out across the counter, and began running his finger over it, searching. Jolene leaned over to get a look, making sure to brush up against him.

"Um, it should be right there," he told her, pointing at a location on the map.

Jolene looked where he was pointing and tried to remember where the spot was from her past visits here. If it was where she was thinking, then she should be able to get there easily enough. Now all she had to do was get away from Smee and the other two.

Turning to the shop owner, she gave him a grateful pat on the shoulder. "Thanks for your help. I'll be sure to tell Jack you said hi."

With that, she quickly left the shop owner's side, hurrying out of the store to rejoin Smee and the other two men. The shop owner was caught off guard by her sudden departure, looking somewhat disappointed. He went to go put the map away, not even noticing that the shelf that once held his ship in a bottle was now empty.

Outside, Jolene quickly motioned for Smee and the others to follow her. "Thanks for waiting. Let's go."

Smee raised an eyebrow at her sudden hastiness, but followed after her all the same, as did the two crewmembers. Jolene took large steps, trying to put as much distance between herself and the shop as fast as she could.

"Why the sudden rush?" Smee asked as he hurried to keep pace with her, the two crewmembers right behind him.

Jolene didn't even look back as she hurried along. "Let's just say I took a souvenir, and it'll be best to get out of here before-"

"Thief! Thief!" came a cry from behind them. And Jolene looked over her shoulder to see the shop owner rushing out of his shop. "I've been robbed!"

Which was nothing new in Tortuga, but it did serve to gain attention, and start a riot that was quick to break out. This also served to distract Smee and the two men, and Jolene seized the opportunity to make her move to get away. She quickly made a run for it, charging down the street at full speed, knowing she didn't have much time.

It didn't take long for Smee to realize she had ditched them, and he called out to her. "Miss Jolene, wait for us!"

She looked over her shoulder, realizing she was out of time as the three men ran after her. She quickly looked around, seeing that the area wasn't too crowded. Reaching into her jacket, she took out the ship in a bottle she had stolen, praying that this plan worked.

Turning around, she threw the bottle to the ground as hard as she could. The bottle shattered against the ground, and there was an explosion of wood and water. A flood of seawater rushed outward, washing away everything around, including Jolene, who was carried off by a wave that ran down the street. The smashed ship grew to its natural size, completely destroyed, colliding with the structures around it, completely blocking off the street.

Coughing and sputtering, Jolene sat up and looked at the large pile of rubble that had once been a ship cutting Smee and the others off from her. It seemed that her plan had worked, even if she hadn't fully thought it through. She hoped no one had gotten hurt, and felt a twinge of guilt for the destruction she had caused, but it provided her with the opportunity to make her escape.

Soaking wet and covered in mud, she climbed to her feet and made a run for it. Now she just had to get to the Pearl, wait for Jack to return if he wasn't there, and get away before Hook caught up to her.

Suddenly, her plan didn't seem that very well thought out at all.

(A/N: And Jolene has made her mistake and is on the search for Jack. Hopefully she'll find him before Hook finds her. By the way, who liked my take on Smee? I've read a few alternate adaptations of the Peter Pan story, and most of the time, Hook is made out to be a misunderstood good guy while Smee is a total sociopath. I thought it was an interesting adaptation, so I went with that version of him, or my own take on him in that light. Hopefully, Jolene can find Jack before he catches her, because if he does, whether he takes her back to Hook or deals with her himself, it's not going to be good. Let's hope she can make it to Jack before she's caught. Oh, and let's not forget that Ragetti and Pintel are back in this. I mean, they presumably died in Blackbeard's attack, but it was never said what happened to them, so maybe they escaped with Barbossa. They're too good of characters to just throw away like that, so I brought them back in this. They're sure to make this crazy adventure even crazier, so stay tuned for more.)