Ok Ok, I know the beginning sucked. Just give me some time to really get into this one. And I know you'll like it.

CHAPTER 2

They had reached Tortuga a couple of hours ago and had sent some of the crew to

spread word that Captain Jack Sparrow was needing to talk with the Brethren of the

Coast. The rest had gone off to spend their leisure time the way they wished. Only Jack

was left standing on the deck of the ship. His face turned toward the ocean.

The sky and sea were a gloomy gray, the color of a salt dried corpse. The wind

had come sweeping through the island making the palm trees rattle like dry bones. Jacks

unruly dread locks were whipping around him in the wind, but Jack didn't seem to mind.

He was thinking about other things, darker things than the gray sky and sea.

"There's a pretty big storm coming up." Gibbs said looking at the forbidding sky.

"Aye. Ought to be a big one." Jack said back absent mindedly.

They were standing on the deck of the Intrepid looking out at open water. Jack

took a deep breath, taking in the salt and richness of the sea.

"You all right there Jack?" Gibbs asked.

Jack didn't reply he just stood there staring out at the gray. "Jack? You're not

afraid of Anna Maria that much is you? Its bad luck to worry about a wench." Gibbs

cracked a smile trying to get Jack to laugh, or at least be less serious.

Jack looked like he had just awoke from a dream, he spun around frowning his

kohl darkened eyes at his first mate for a moment then his mouth turned up and he

smiled at Gibbs. But Gibbs had come to realize that Jack smile could mean anything.

Gibbs was positive that Jack would have smiled if sharks were tearing his legs off. Just to

recognize the irony. Jack answered, "No. I'm not afraid of Anna Maria. Mind you I don't

feel like being slapped back onto a deserted island but that's not what I'm worried

about." He kept smiling but the smile didn't reach his eyes. They were empty, his golden

brown eyes taking on a gray hugh from the sea.

"Are ya going ta tell me what the matter is then?" asked Gibbs.

"It's the Brethren." Jack answered "We pirates don't have many rules and like to

follow them less. But the first buccaneers in the Brethren set down our code and we all

live by it."

"Aye. I know." Gibbs said.

"Well The Brethren don't look fondly on pirates destroying other pirate's ships.

And I don't want the Pearl sunk to the bottom of old Davy Jones."

Gibbs was confused, "But you were kicked off yer ship and left to die. You fight

other pirates all the time. I don't get it."

Jack smile stayed firmly set on his face, he stoked his mustache and explained,

"What happened to me was permissible. You see the Brethren won't get involved when it

comes to a mutiny. After all, no ships or cargo are lost and what is the worth of one pirate

captain from every other. But sinking another pirate's ship, well that's just waste full."

Jack looked at Gibbs more intently, "You saw the amount of cargo floating in the water.

Barbossa didn't take much if anything. So what accentually that means is that the Black

Pearl destroyed another ship with no intent to save the cargo or take prisoners." Jack

sighed heavily, "Just waste full. Not to mention," Jack added, "I don't really look forward

to seeing Captain Frost again."

"Captain Frost?"

"Captain Jean Frost. She's an ice cold bitch of a pirate and the only woman on in

the leaders of the Brethren. She and I don't see eye ta eye." He flashed Gibbs a happier

smile, "I cheated her out of the Black Pearl in a card game six years ago." He chuckled

quietly to himself remembering older times, "And I don't think she's ever forgiven me."

Gibbs laughed with Jack, "Sounds like something you'd do ya old dog!" Gibbs

patted Jack on the back and then said, "You've been too serious lately just missing the

Pearl and all. Let us head over to THE FAITHFUL BRIDE and wrestle us up some rum."

Jack looked back out to the gloomy sea for a moment then putting his back to the

sea said, "Aye."

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The thick smoke filled air soothed Jack, either that or all the rum he'd been

drinking. Gibbs had wandered off with some pretty whore or another about a half an hour

ago. Even though Jack would have liked to follow suit he didn't. Even in his rum addled

brain he was still worrying. "Can't be help." Jack hiccupped to himself. And then the

yelled, "Oui! Barmaid! Bring us another will you?" The barmaid he had yelled at looked

up and nodded at him.

He put his head down on the table and tried to think of something that would

cheer him up. "da da da da da da da da.we're really bad eggs." He mumbled slurring his

words together.

"Drink up me hearties yo ho." Said a female voice behind him. Jack's head

snapped up and he spun partly around to see you the voice had come from.

A tall woman with black hair streaked with white stood next to him her very

unworldly ice blue eyes looking down at him. Jack slumped back into his chair, scowling

at her, "'ello Frost."

"That's Captain Frost Jack." The woman said the last word like it made a bad

taste in her mouth.

"Aye, aye whatever. You going to sit down?" Jack asked kicking the other chair

out for her.

She smiled icily at him and sat down. She was dressed in a light blue men's frock

coat with a white shirt and britches to match and from where Jack was sitting it looked

like it was all made out of silk. "Well don't we look all dressed up like a Christmas

goose." Jack slurred at Frost.

Frost raised a disapproving eyebrow and retorted, "And I see that you haven't

changed at all Jack." She sniffed the air dramatically and wrinkled her nose, "Still

smelling like a bar and drowning your sorrows away. Honestly Jack how did you ever

expect to become a successful pirate Captain?"

Jack scowled and mumbled under his breath, "I am successful you bitch."

"I'm sorry," Frost said batting her eyes, "What was that."

"Oh nothing." Jack answered.

"If you're quite finished." Frost said looking dissentingly at him. "Would you

please tell me why you've been sending all of your miscreants out trying to call up the

Brethren."

Just then the barmaid appeared with Jacks new glass of rum. Jack smiled happily

and reached for it, only to have it picked up by Frost who looking at him evilly said,

"Why thank you Jack." And took a long swallow. This was going to be a bad night, he

could tell right now.