Elizabeth looked distinctly uncomfortable as they walked through the streets of Tortuga. "Why couldn't I have stayed back on the ship with Will?" she hissed.
"'s all about appearances, love," Jack said jovially, taking his arm from around her to have a swig from his bottle, his normal mixture of water and rum, more water than rum. He had been around his father long enough to know how to act drunk.
"Just relax," Mina said, looking rather tense herself, though this was due to the fact that the pirate still had an arm snugly around her waist. "And if anyone approaches you in a way you don't like, just let me know."
"Oh, he's standing right next to me."
Mina laughed. "That's the spirit, love," she said, mocking Jack.
"You watch out," he warned her.
"Or you'll what?"
Releasing Elizabeth completely, Jack wrapped his arms – rum bottle and all – around her, bending her back slightly in a long kiss as he made a show of running his hands down her sides. When he realized her she brought up a hand, but he caught her wrist before she could touch him. "'s all about appearances, love," he said, this time softly. Turning away he caught Elizabeth and propelled her into a nearby bar.
Fixing the back of his head with a piercing look, Mina followed them in.
* * * * *
After pondering Jack's request a moment, the bartender nodded. "Aye, she's here; back room on the left, if you want to risk it."
"Thanks, mate." Jack tossed him a coin. "You remember Annemaria, don't you?" he asked Elizabeth as he steered her through the masses of people, snagging a stein of beer from a table as they passed.
"Annemaria?" She blinked. "You still owe her a ship, Captain Sparrow!"
"Aye, that I do," he said grimly. "That I do."
* * * * *
Mina was trying to follow them when a girl in a very low-cut, tight dress stepped in front of her. "Excuse me, but I saw you out there with Jack Sparrow."
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm sure you did. Now, if you would just step aside –"
The other woman shook her head sadly, tortured curls swinging. "My dear, I need to warn you."
Although this seemed rather strange, Mina thought it might merit a listen. "About what?"
A wry smile was her first answer. "Come on, I'll buy you a drink."
* * * * *
Annemaria looked up, the brim of her hat casting a shadow across her eyes. "Jack Sparrow. You sure know how to clear out a room."
"I need a crew," he said without preamble.
"You no longer have my ship." She inspected her fingernails. "Though I see you've managed to get her back. Where's the whelp?"
"The whereabouts of her husband is no matter of yours." Jack motioned for Elizabeth to take an empty chair nearby. "I have a ship. I need a crew."
Annemaria laughed derisively, crossing her arms. "You owe me a ship, Sparrow."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "You'll have all the treasure mine can carry."
The pirate woman took her feet off the table and sat up. "I'm listening."
* * * * *
Giselle laughed sadly. At least, that was how she had introduced herself. "Ah, Jack Sparrow," she said, taking a gulp from her mug. "Here's the deal with 'im: that 'un'll buy you dinner, give you a kiss or two to make you think he's real, a few drinks . . . and when you follow him to his room, he'll pay you just enough to keep you quiet and make you tell everyone it happened."
Mina blinked. Her tankard was missing only a cursory sip. "Excuse me?"
It seemed that this was not Giselle's first drink of the evening as she swayed slightly on her stool, catching the eye of a card player nearby. Twinkling her fingers at him, she turned back to Mina. "That man is bad news for every one of us he tricked."
"I'm afraid I don't quite understand."
"Oh, Giselle, not another one," another woman said, joining them. "You poor dear. Jack Sparrow?"
"Jack Sparrow," Giselle said, nodding. "Rachel's had the same thing," she explained to Mina.
"Steal a few kisses, that one will," Rachel said, pricking her finger with a needle and using the drops of blood to color her cheeks. "And won't take what you're really offerin', not even if you offer it for free."
* * * * *
Annemaria looked pensive. "So there's another curse, but this one won't have anything to do with us."
"I just need to get out to that island, let the lass do a bit of magic, and hope William doesn't drop dead."
She pondered this. "I can get you a few men."
Jack raised an eyebrow; this sounded promising. "Gibbs?"
"No." Her head was shaking as she bit at her thumbnail. "Gone straight again. Surprised they let him; we all were, but Norrington's dumber than even we give him credit for. No offense," she added as an afterthought.
"None taken," Elizabeth said primly, eyes shifting nervously to the doorway. Annemaria and Jack were into negotiating the pay when she frowned. "Captain Sparrow?"
Jack sighed. "What?"
She raised a hand to point. "Who's that with Mina?"
Annemaria looked and immediately broke into laughter. "Bad news, cap'n," she crowed. "You don't want Rachel and Giselle gettin' a hold of them before they can even approach you."
Jack's expression was hard to read.
* * * * *
Giselle wiped her mouth on her arm. "Let me word it this way, dear, from one sister to another: there's no money to be earned from Jack Sparrow."
"Aye," Rachel said sadly. "As soon as you try more than an innocent little kiss, he's pushing money into your hand and locking the door before you can come in."
"We don't think he's ever been made a man," Giselle whispered loudly, leaning her elbows on the table and this time giving the card played a good glimpse down her dress. "Perhaps he can't even, shall we say, wield his sword."
Rachel nodded sagely. "But the worst part, love – he'll even tell you why."
"Oh, it's so sweet." Giselle batted her eyes, just short of rolling them, making her point.
"Why, then?" Mina asked, consciously not looking into the room when Jack had gone.
Rachel scooted her chair closer in a mock show of making them confidantes. "Well, here's the tale he'll tell: there's a lass back in England with hair of fire and eyes that challenge the sea's green. He loves her, he says, and as soon as he wins himself his treasure, he's going back to win her heart."
"He's being true to her," Giselle cut in. "Says he'll let everyone else think what they want – fact, he'd rather they think like they do now – but" – here she inserted a snort of laughter – "he's waiting for her! Can you believe it?"
"Must be some lass," her companion agreed.
Mina was hardly breathing. "And he's – he's done it . . . to all of you?"
"Rather, he's not done it to any of us," Rachel corrected. "All because of his little Willemina." She sneered the name, taking Giselle's mug and draining it.
Giselle began to pout. "Are you going to drink that?" she asked, tossing her curls over her shoulders.
"Go ahead." Mina absently shoved her beer toward the other woman.
* * * * *
Annemaria snorted. "Looks shocked, doesn't she? Honestly, don't they ever learn that they can't trust men?"
"She already thought that," Jack said grimly. "I'm just hoping they change her mind."
Elizabeth looked completely confused. "Would someone explain to me what's going on?" she asked, exasperated.
* * * * *
Mina nodded, standing. "Thank you for telling me," she said, still unsure of whether or not she should be forcing the smile.
"Any time," Giselle said sympathetically.
"Hey, we didn't get your name," Rachel said.
Mina paused. "Willemina Turner of England."
They were both so shocked that, long after she had walked away, Giselle had still not noticed that she was dripping beer down her front.
* * * * *
"She's going to slap you," Annemaria observed.
Jack was silent as he watched Mina come over.
"You know when they find out, they all want to slap you."
Still silence.
"Look at those flashing eyes! Hope your reflexes are good."
A look from him stilled her, a look she had not seen before.
Mina stopped right in front of him. When she neither moved nor said anything, he stood up. "Mina." He said it softly so that Annemaria would not hear.
Gently, almost hesitantly, she reached out and brushed her fingers across his cheek. "Why didn't you tell me?"
He took her hand and kissed her palm. "Would you have believed me?"
Ever so slowly her head began to shake. "I never would have let myself believe."
"That's why." He bent his head so their foreheads touched. "Willemina Turner, you have the attention of everyone in this fine establishment. I think it an opportune moment."
"I think I already let too many slip by," she said, catching him by surprise as she kissed him hungrily.
As soon as she got her eyes back in, Annemaria leaned around the couple and caught Elizabeth's eye. "Is her name Willemina?" she asked.
Elizabeth blinked. "Yes. Why? How did you know?"
The pirate raised an eyebrow. "The same way that everyone in here now knows who she is."
Another "lady of the evening" was heard to scoff, "That's Willemina? I don't believe it!"
"He could have done much better," her friend agreed, nodding sagely.
Jack was too busy to notice.