Disclaimer: Pretty standard if you catch my drift. I, the author, am just borrowing these characters without permission, with all intentions of returning them. Nor do I own the lyrics to Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves. So get off my case and go sue somebody else. I hear the doughnut shop is a good place to start. Pirates of the Caribbean ® All rights reserved, Disney 2002-03.

Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves

Chapter Two- Bar Tending

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Jack watched over the heads of the crowd at the group of dancers, his eyes trained on the youngest girl. The music the crowd bobbed their heads too suddenly stopped as a lively tune took its place, Jack absently tapping a foot. He saw the young girl turn around and mingle with the older women, she herself dancing in the middle.

Gibbs looked on in slight interest at the group, his annoyance growing with Jack. The pirate captain beside him moved forward and he captured the man's arm stopping him. "What be in yur 'ead lad?"

Jack grinned at him. "What makes you think anything is in there to begin with?"

The old tavern keeper sighed as Jack tugged his arm from his grasp. "Ye ain't plannin' on offerin' 'em money, now is ye?" Gibbs asked startled.

"The only thing I plan on offering," Jack started as he stepped away from Gibbs. "Is my services, now if you'll excuse me," he implored as he disappeared into the crowd.

Jack pushed his way through the bustle, his eyes centered on the young girl. When he finally made his way to the inner circle, he caught sight of her as she danced passed him, her head turning, looking at him over her shoulder. Her eyes twinkled as her lips twisted into a grin, her gaze on Jack. The music died quickly as a shout was heard from behind causing the dancers and fiddle players to stop, most vanishing into the night.

The young girl hurriedly scampered to the hat holding the nights' wages and scooped it up into her arms, her chin tilting up catching the glint in Jack's eyes. She paused momentarily to smile at him.

Jack stepped forward when a hand grabbed him from behind. He spun to see Gibbs standing there shaking his head indignantly. "Smartly now 'fore we gets caught by the night watchmen."

"The night watchmen? This is Tortuga man! It doesn't have night watchmen," Jack protested taking his gaze from the girl.

Gibbs frowned. "They be after th' gypsies, Jack! Lawbreaker's and thieves that they be."

Jack growled in frustration and shifted his stare back to the young girl only to find that she had disappeared.

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"Gibbs, why is it, for so long the officials of Tortuga didn't give a damn about anything that went on here before," Jack asked as he took a long sip from his bottle of rum. "Yet now they are cracking down on those lovely women dancers."

"Gypsies, Jack," Gibbs corrected as he drank from his flask. "Theys 'ave a reputation them gypsies. Thievin' scoundrels they are. Pickpockets, rob ye while ye watch the women dance they do! I' t'ain't right!"

Jack stared at him. "Seemed like an honest group tonight though."

Gibbs snorted. "Ne'er trust an honest man, Jack me lad, they do stupid things. Likely to get themselves killed they will!"

Taking a long pull of his rum Jack commented, "I'll keep that in mind mate."

The silence that followed made Jack itch with discomfort as he drummed his fingers on the counter watching the amber fluid in the bottle swirl with movement. His actions were interrupted at the creaking of the tavern door, his head snapping up along with Gibbs'. Jack stared in wonder as a young women entered, her face hidden beneath a dark cloak. Tilting his head the pirate captain watched silently as the hood was removed, tendrils of black hair spilling about her shoulders.

It's her, he realized as he sat up straight on his stool.

He saw Gibbs move from the corner of his eye, the awkward quiet being broken. "We don' serve yur kind 'ere, girly. Scram," Gibbs scoffed causing Jack to nod his head in disagreement.

The young girl placed a hand on her hip and cocked her head to the side. "You mean to tell me you'd turn down a paying customer just like that?"

Gibbs turned to look at the pirate captain who was nodding his head absently at the girl. "Aye," he stuttered before catching Jack's expression shaking his head no. "I mean no." Jack nodded and grinned. "Well uh, I… oh blast, sit down girl. Whadya want?"

The girl smirked as she took a seat at the bar, an empty stool between her and Jack. "Mead," she answered shrugging out of her cloak.

"You're one of them gypsy dancers, ain't ya?" Jack asked curiously, his head tilted to one side.

The girl frowned and sat back as a mug was placed in front of her, some of the liquid sloshing over the side onto the counter. She scowled at Gibbs before stating, "And if I am? What's it to you?"

Jack shrugged. "Just a mite curious one could say."

The girl lifted her head and stared at him, her eyes locking with his. "Well curiosity killed the cat- or in this case, a daft fool."

"Sticks and stones love," he answered casually as he moved to the stool beside her. "You sound English," he commented whimsically.

She chuckled a bit and set her drink down. "You sound surprised."

Jack watched as Gibbs sauntered off to help a scraggly man who had entered the bar, his fingers scratching his chin in thought. "So you got a name, lass?"

She leaned on an elbow against the bar and considered him a moment before shrugging. "May," she said hesitantly. She watched him raise an eyebrow in question before nodding.

"Good and now your real name?"

She spun around to glare at him, her nose wrinkling. Her brow puckered in contemplation as she sized him up and down. He had seen through her lie, something a lot of men seemed to overlook when it came down to this part of their conversation. She smiled at him. "Fine, Anamaria," she sighed. "You happy?"

He nodded in satisfaction at the answer. "Quite. Hmm, unique name, yet intriguing."

Anamaria smirked. "Intriguing?! I think you should have your head examined."

Jack looked baffled. He had just paid her a compliment, or so he thought, and she shot him down with a snide remark. She was a fiery one, with a lot of spirit and spunk. And looks to match, Jack thought smugly.

There was a small chuckle drawing his head up, as he looked her, her expression one of amusement. "Don't worry," she quipped. "I'm not always a little smart ass. Only sometimes," she added as she leaned back and turned her head to glare at a table of guys who played cards. One of them quickly looked away, the anger flashing in his eyes before doing so.

Jack nodded in acknowledgment. "Oh good. I was beginning to worry."

Anamaria twisted in her seat and stared at him, the surprise on her young face. "You, worry? Since when did the famous Captain Jack Sparrow have anything to worry about?"

The pirate captain grinned widely at the use of Captain before his name before the grin faded. "You know who I am?"

She laughed, her head shaking. "Oh please! This is Tortuga! Everyone and his brother knows who you are!"

Jack thought it over before nodding and raising his bottle to her mug saying, "I'll drink to that!"

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Anamaria fiddled with her drink; her vacant stare unnerving Jack. From the corner of his eye, he saw a dark figure head toward them as a voice greeted, "Well if it ain't the scurvy Captain Sparrow and the lovely Anamaria." A grubby hand rested its fingers on her arm as the man said, "How 'bout a dance, darlin'."

"I think not," she warned in a low tone. "Kindly take your hand off of me unless you want to be missing some fingers."

Jack watched with mild amusement at the interaction. He now knew why she had such an attitude toward him at first; self defense, especially with a crowd like this one. He saw the man step behind Anamaria, his hand tightening the grip on her. Jack saw something glint in the light and stumbled back as he watched Anamaria bring a dagger to the man's neck, pinning him against the counter.

"I said no," she seethed, the dagger pressed firmly to the man's neck. "When will you learn, no means no. Next time, I won't hesitate to take your fingers and feed them to the gulls. Now get lost," she hissed as she pushed away from him, turning to leave.

The man rubbed at his neck and laughed. "It seems we have an attitude tonight, eh boys?" With an evil glare, he gazed over at Jack, a sinister grin on his face. "Tell me, Sparrow, do ye think you'll win the bet?"

The statement caught Anamaria's attention as she spun around, her eyes searching Jack's as the man went on. "Ain't a one of us been able to bed that wench there, what makes ye think ya can? Ye ain't better than us, but if ye win, I'll buy ye a drink, how's that sound?"

An expression passed over Jack's face as his hand lingered over the hilt of sword. He opened his mouth to retort when a soft voice cut him off. "I was a bet?"

Jack's head snapped up as he saw Anamaria standing there, her hands balled into fists, her lips set in an angry scowl. "I thought you were different, Jack Sparrow, but now I know you're no better than the rest of them."

He jumped from his chair, the man beside him laughing as he watched Anamaria run from the room. "Ana, wait!" he called as he stumbled out the door after her, tripping over his own feet. By the time he was up again, she was gone with nothing but the fog greeting him.

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A/N: The author has nothing to say at this time, your honor.

Review Thanks:

Rat, Cal, Jackfan2, The Sirius Sparrow, and Childlike Empress. I know its not much, a short chapter, but longer than one. Just a small update, a little scraggly something needed to get the show going. Hopefully from here out, things will tend to get a bit more interesting. I hope. If not, I'll revise it, and try until I get it right. N'joy!

-J