Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

I was roused early the next morning by someone breathing in my ear. I bolted up, startled. Well you would be too if you had gone to bed alone last night, and woke up to someone's warm breath against your cheek.

Not that it was terribly unpleasant, but I looked up to meet the dark slightly teasing eyes of Captain Sparrow.

"Jack!" I choked, sitting up further and pulling the blankets over myself protectively. Not that I had anything to hide, because I was in my night gown yet again. He laughed quietly and sat up. "How long were you laying there?" I demanded, mortified. And I would have to be on a ship for God knows how long with this crude man!

"Don't worry Miss Swann," he said, his eyes twinkling. "I only just woke up, and since you're night gown is looking a bit under the weather," he cast his eyes down my body. I pulled the blankets tighter. "I thought I'd take up on my offer to go buy ye some suitable clothes," he finished, grinning impishly.

Normally, I would have smacked him for his impudence. After all, I am a lady. The Governor's daughter! However, here in Tortuga that meant nothing, and it would mean even less on the ship when we were out at sea. So forgetting all the "ladylike" manners that I'd had drilled into me since I was old enough to talk (i.e. when I was nine months old, and I'm twenty now, so that's a lot of manners, mind you), I grinned back.

"Sounds splendid, Captain," I said, just as Will woke up. And let me tell you, he looks absolutely edible with his hair all mussed up from sleep. Like I said, the manners and proper thoughts have been chucked out the window.

My heart jumped into my throat and I made this sort of strangled sound, which Jack of course noticed. He chuckled. "Young love," he muttered, and I smacked him. He looked at me innocently. Or as innocently as a pirate could look.

As I glared at Jack, Will glared even more viciously. In fact, I'm willing to wager that he made the look on my face seem positively loving. I had to bit back a grin. "Captain Sparrow, just what do you think you are doing?" Will hissed venomously. I raised an eyebrow, was Will going to play the role of Father to me on this little adventure? I seriously hoped not.

I cringed as he walked over with his - oh my - shirt all the way unbuttoned. The temperature in the room shot up about five thousand degrees. At least to me. Jack seemed quite unfazed, which is, I think, a good thing.

Will grabbed my arm and yanked me out of the bed roughly. "Damn it, Will!" I yelped, rubbing my shoulder. But I could hardly force down the thrill that shot through me. Was he jealous?

Then I remembered the reason we were even in this bloody inn, and that's because Will's ardor was reserved for Elizabeth alone. Not for the first time I realized I'd give anything to be her right about now. Even if the pirates who held her captive were doing as the song described…pillage, plunder, ravage (then again, remembering what those pirates who had come to the mansion looked, and smelled, like, perhaps I was the lucky sister)…I yanked my arm back angrily, determined to quell these stupid feelings for Will. My best friend.\

"What is WRONG with you?" I snapped, glaring at him. He turned to me, looking shocked. Then he went to the couch where he'd slept and grabbed his sword, pointing it at Jack.

"I'll kill him if he…violated you," Will said fiercely. I raised an eyebrow, the rage that was building up in me nearly making me explode. Best friend or not, he was being ridiculous. "Don't you think you're over reacting a bit mate?" Jack asked, looking quite amused. He laid back and I realized he wasn't wearing a shirt. At all! Not even an unbuttoned one!

One would have thought my hormones would have picked up on this sooner. Stupid little buggers.

"Over reacting!" Will turned to me, as if I had asked the question. "Christina, he was in BED with you!" Will shouted. "Yes, let's let all of Tortuga know this useful information, shall we?" I said coldly. "And what's it to you who I keep in my bed, William?" I was severely brassed off now. "I'm not my sister, in case you have forgotten? You don't have to pretend to care!" I shouted, stepping in front of his sword.

Will looked as if I'd punched him in the stomach (or worse), but I was too angry to care. If I was Elizabeth, Jack would be dead right now. The sheer fact that I was me kept him alive.

"You mean to defend him? He's a pirate!" Will spat, bewildered.

"And a good man," I said stoutly.

"And what has he done to convince you of this?" Will said shot back.

"Yeah, love, what've I done?" Jack asked. Will flinched. I smirked.

"Open your eyes, Will. Jack promised to take us to save my sister, he didn't let you die on the boat when he could have…"

"He was the one who put me in the position to die!" Will roared. I ignored him.

" …he brought us to Tortuga, he's going to assemble a crew so we can save my sister who you happen to love so much, and - " I said, leaving the most important for last. "- he's going to take me shopping,"

Jack laughed. "A woman's prerogative, mate," he explained to Will. I nodded, still glaring at Will. Daring him to say something.

"I do care about you, though," Will said quietly. Oh no, don't say that, I thought desperately, all my anger melting away. I tried to grab it, keep it from fading but no. It was gone. Damn it.

"So would you rather be in Jack's place?" I said boldly. Ha, who knew being uncouth could be so much fun? Will looked away. I snorted. "Didn't think so," I hissed, pulling on the red jacket and walking out of the room.

1.

Jack hurried soon after, catching up with me on the streets of Tortuga. His shirt was buttoned unevenly, as Will's shouts had chased him out the door. "Wait, Miss Swann," he called. I stopped. "Since you've been in my bed, I think it's safe to say we're on a first name basis now, Jack," I smirked. He grinned.

"I'm sorry if I've caused that little fight between you and dear William," he said. I was touched by his sensitivity, and told him so. "Tis rather unbecoming of a pirate, if I may be so bold to say so, Jack," I said. He laughed again. "Well, you walking about in that torn up old nightie is rather unbecoming of a lady," he answered.

"That," I said, "Is not my fault. Besides, its not like I have much to compare too," I continued, nodding towards a wench who was asleep in a pile of hay with a bottle of rum in her hand and a man on her bosom. Oh no, I was certainly not the worst example of a lady here.

1.

But, I realized when we came out of the last shop, I was well on my way to becoming one of the worst examples of a lady, even in Tortuga! I was wearing breeches and boots, and a full bodied shirt, much like Jack's. In fact, I was dressed nearly identical to him, the only difference being I was wearing a corset. "For support," Jack said slyly. I tossed the turkey thigh that I'd been eating at him.

"I take it you're rather fond of young Mr. Turner," Jack said as we were walking back to the inn. "Perceptive," I said sarcastically. "Though, not quite fond of him at the moment." Jack waited for me to elaborate.

"Well, if you must know, Will's been my best friend for years now - ever since we were, what was it…twelve I think. Yes, but recently he's be so infatuated with Elizabeth," I sneered her name, making Jack chuckle again. I smiled despite myself. "And I don't blame him for it, what sensible man wouldn't be infatuated with her?" I said, frowning now.

"Hell, what man with proper male organs wouldn't be?" I said bitterly. Jack's eyebrows shot up. "Perhaps we should have bought you clothes becoming of a lady," he said. I glared at him. He sighed. "Well, love, I may not be sensible but I can assure you that I have all the 'proper male organs' as you so modestly put it; and I don't find myself attracted, or infatuated, with little Elizabeth in the slightest," he said.

I laughed, "Oh, right," I said.

"No, really," Jack said hurriedly. I turned to him, my hands on my hips. "Do explain, Captain," I said. He grinned. "Your sister, from what I saw of her, is a right spoiled thing, full of herself and not too bright, after all she didn't have the sense to sense to stand away from me at the Port," Jack said.

"You cant possibly get all that from just meeting her once. Actually, you didn't even meet her, you just nearly strangled her," I pointed out.

"You're right," Jack answered. "But I think she's quite the opposite of you."

"You can say that again."

"Except, you're both very easy on the eyes," he said.

"Do be truthful with me, Captain Sparrow. Lies are not becoming on you," I said, laughing again. Jack raised an eyebrow. "Ol' Jack doesn't like, Christina," he said. I looked up, that was the first time he ever used my name.

"Oh, bollocks, I'll wager that was a lie right there!" I said. We walked on in silence.

"She's really not all that bad," I said. Jack nodded, "Well, you know her better than I do, but tell me, if she looked how she acted, would she be quite as pretty?" he asked. I didn't say anything for a while.

"I believe you are making assumptions of that which you do not know, Jack," I said quietly. He shrugged, "Juss' a question," he said. "But from what I see and what I know, I like ye better," I hung my head.

Jack stopped and looked at me. "Now, what's all this?" he asked. I sighed, "Nothing at all…" I murmured. Jack started walking, "Maybe he love's ye too," he said.

"I don't -"

Jack snorted, "Like ye said, how could he love someone he doesn't know? He probably just likes your sister's looks. Men are like that, we're idiots,"

"Thanks, that makes me feel a whole lot better," I said. He grinned. "She loves him too," I said.

"His looks," Jack said dismissively.

"But I couldn't come between that - "

"Between what, love?" Jack said, exasperated. "They have nothing. She's courting the Commodore, and he's courting his swords. If you want to boy, then go take him," A lot of what Jack was saying was making sense, and it surprised me to find out just how wise he actually was. One wouldn't expect that, after all he was a pirate. But then there was a lot that I didn't know, a fact that I had just learned recently.

"He wont even look at me that way," I moaned. Jack stopped again, and I winced. I was afraid that I might have annoyed him just a bit too much. I couldn't help it though, I've never told anyone this. Not even Mary, who was my best friend besides Will. And of course I didn't discuss this with Will himself.

"Why not?" Jack was saying. "He's not stupid, although he does a brilliant job of acting it."

"Exactly," I said darkly, clucking my tongue. The buttons on Jack's shirt were still uneven. I stopped and turned to him and began to fix them. On a whim, mind you. I decided to ignore, once again, how his eyebrows shot up and how he grinned insolently. I decided to ignore a lot of things that Jack did.

He took my hand and looked into my eyes. "What are you doing?" I asked. Jack looked away and I followed his gaze to see Will glaring. "You've just given me a wonderful idea, love," Jack muttered. I guessed he was speaking to me.

"What?"

"Don't worry, Christina, all hope is not lost!" he declared flamboyantly, kissing me on the nose. I blinked. He took my hand and pulled me along to meet Will. I was now wholly, utterly, completely, and totally bewildered.

1.

We were now standing at the docks and lined up before us was the crew that would be under Captain Sparrow. They were the people who would go with us to find my sister. "Feast your eyes, Captain. All of them, faithful hands before the mast. Every man worth his salt. And crazy to boot." Mr. Gibbs said. I raised my eyebrows.

"So this is your able-bodied crew?" Will asked. I glanced at him. He looked a bit perturbed. Jack glared at him for a moment, walking up and down the line.

"You, sailor!" Jack barked, looking at an old man with scraggly gray hair and wrinkled sun burnt skin.

"Cotton, sir." Mr. Gibbs said helpfully.

Jack nodded. "Mr. Cotton . Do you have the courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death? Mr. Cotton ! Answer me!"

"He's a mute, sir. Had his bloody tongue cut out, so he trained the parrot to talk for him. We haven't yet figured out how..." Mr. Gibbs said. I felt my jaw drop as Mr. Cotton opened his mouth and showed his stump of a tongue. Jack looked just as nauseous, sticking his tongue out as well. "Mr. Cotton 's... parrot. Same question." Jack said hesitantly. I raised an eyebrow.

"Wind in the sails! Wind in the sails," the parrot squawked.

"Mostly, we figure, that means 'yes.'" Mr. Gibbs said. "O'course it does. Satisfied?" Jack said pointedly to Will, winking at me.

"Well, you've proved that they're mad." Will said. I laughed, against my will. I was determined to stay angry, and already it wasn't working.

"And what's the benefit for us?" came a squeaky voice from the end of the line. Jack walked over to a boy, I guessed, but the voice was definitely feminine no matter how this sailor tried to disguise it. Or maybe just a pre-pubescent boy.

I followed Jack. He took the hat from the sailor's head and thick, long dark hair, much like mine but darker, tumbled down. "Anamaria." Jack said. I looked curiously between the two of them. Jack seemed amused, Anamaria looked like she was going to kill him. And then she smacked him. Hard.

"I suppose you didn't deserve that one either." Will said. I bit my cheek so hard it started to bleed. Will had looked at me, as if trying to see whether or not I found him funny. The operative words being 'as if' I suppose. I stared straight ahead, ignoring him, because I knew if I looked at him I wouldn't be angry anymore, and then Jack's "plan" wouldn't work. I highly doubted it would work anyway.

"No, that one I deserved." Jack answered. Anamaria nodded. "You stole my boat!" she said.

"Actually," Jack began, but she slapped him again before he had the chance to continue. I winced, Anamaria hit him a lot harder than the loose women of Tortuga.

"… borrowed, borrowed without permission. But with every intention of bringing it back," he continued after a pause.

"But you didn't!" Anamaria hissed, clearly seething. Her dark eyes were flashing. Frankly, I thought she could be my sister sooner than Elizabeth could. She had dark hair, and tanned skin (although mine was more olive than brown) and brown eyes (although mine were lighter). Other than that, we could be twins.

"You'll get another boat," Jack said.

"I will." Anamaria said, her voice harboring on the edge of threatening and suspicious.

"A better one," Will offered helpfully, and then glancing at me. I ignored him, watching Anamaria. Thank goodness I wouldn't be the only woman on the ship.

"A better one!" Jack said enthusiastically.

"That one," Will said, pointing to the Interceptor.

"What one? That one!" Jack asked, practically yelping. Will nodded vigorously. "Aye! That one. What say you?" Jack asked, glaring at Will.

"Aye!" they shouted. And we were off. Or, nearly…

"No, no, no, no, no, it's frightful bad luck to bring a woman aboard, sir," Mr. Gibbs said. I glared at him, and so did Anamaria. "It'd be far worse not to," Jack said, looking at Anamaria and I. And we were off, to save my sister! Huzzah!

Not.