Chapter Eight: Tortuga?

"Did you see the look on Norrington's face when we intercepted the Interceptor?" asked Lissie when they couldn't see the shoreline of Port Royal any more.

"Yeah, and you are the best pirate I've ever seen, Jack," said Beth.

"Why, thank you, I'm flattered," said Jack, pretending to blush.

"What was that noise?" asked Lissie, she thought she heard someone's stomach growl.

"Sorry," said Will. "I didn't have anything to eat."

"We'll make you something," said the girls as they made their way down to the galley.

"I'm sure Norrington left some food down here," said Beth as they began rummaging through cabinets.

"I wish we had milky ways, now there's one thing I miss about the futu—"

"SSHH! The guys will hear you!" said Beth.

"Relax, Will's telling Jack about his dad— and he's about to get thrown off the ship!" said Lissie as she heard a creaking noise above, meaning Jack had swung the beam over and Will was now dangling over the ocean. She started to run upstairs, but Beth held her back.

"You relax! He agrees with Jack, remember?"

"Oh yeah, but whenever I think about something bad that is going to happen to my future husband, I tend to get a little freaked out," said Lissie, annoyed.

"Future husband? Pft!"

"That's it, you'll pay!" said Lissie as she threw an orange at Beth, hitting her smack dab in the forehead with it.

Dazed, Beth threw some grapes at her, and soon the room was flying with fruit.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Back above deck…

"So, can you sail under the command of a pirate, or can't you?" said Jack as he handed Will back his sword.

"Tortuga?" asked Will.

"Tortuga. Now, where have those girls gotten to?" asked Jack.

"Yeah, where are they?"

A sudden scream reached their ears, followed by another. Will and Jack exchanged glances, then ran downstairs, Jack got their first. Will, who was one stair case behind, heard Jack grunt, a heavy thud, and two females gasp. He continued to run down the stairs, and he almost tripped over Jack, who was unconscious.

"What happened?" asked Will, looking around and seeing food everywhere.

"We were having a small food fight, and then Jack came down the stairs, and well, Beth hit him in the head with an apple," said Lissie, laughing. Beth had just knocked out the love of her life.

"Lissie! It's not funny! Curse you for breathi—"

Lissie coughed suddenly, and Will immediately knew that they were trying to hide something. Trying to break the awkward silence, Lissie asked, "So, how are we going to revive him?"

Beth was way ahead of her. She already had a bucket of water in her hand, and she splashed it over Jack.

"Where's the rum?" he said as he sat up suddenly. "And why am I all wet?"

"You were knocked out by an apple," said Beth.

"Thrown by Beth," broke in Lissie.

"Well, thank you," said Jack, although Beth couldn't tell if it was supposed to be sarcastic. "And what about that food?"

"Apple?" asked Lissie, holding out the apple he had been knocked out with. All four of them laughed.

* * *

"If anyone has never breathed the sweet smell that is Tortuga, you haven't lived. What do you think?" asked Jack to Will.

Will paused for a minute and said, "It will linger."

"I tell you, if every town in the world were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted." Just then, a woman with red hair walked up to Jack, who recognized her. "Scarlett!" he said, but he just slapped her across the face, and stalked off. "I'm not sure I deserved that."

A blonde had come up. "Giselle." He said.

"Who is she—and them?" indicating Scarlet, Beth and Lissie.

"What?" then she slapped him across the face.

"I may have deserved that."

"So, how do you feel now that you know that the love of your life is a player?" asked Lissie quietly so only Beth could hear her.

"No comment," answered Beth.

"Girls! We have places to go, but first we have people to find!" yelled Jack as Will and him were making their way across the square and into a barn. Jack handed each of them a bucket of water. "Use these only when necessary."

"CURSE YOU FOR BREATHING YOU SLAPJAWED IDIOT!" yelled Gibbs. Then he saw Jack. "Mother's love! Jack! Don't you know better than to wake a man when he's sleeping? It's bad luck."

"Luck's got nothing to do with this," said Jack, and he tilted his head in Beth's direction. Gibbs looked confused, and Jack tilted his head once more in Beth's direction. "Never mind you. But the man who did the waking buys the man who was sleeping a drink. The man who was sleeping drinks while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking."

Gibbs, once again, looked confused. But despite himself, he said, "Aye, that'll about do it," he said as Jack helped him up. Once Jack was out of the way, three bucketfulls of water were dumped onto him. "BLAST I'M ALREADY AWAKE!" he yelled as he shook his head.

"That was for the smell," said Beth, as all four of them looked at each other.

Gibbs nodded his head.

* * *

In the pub, Jack got him and Gibbs drinks, and said to Will, Lissie, and Beth, "Keep a sharp eye out."

Well, no problem there, thought Will as he looked around and saw people getting into fights, clearly this was one town he didn't want to live in.

Over at Jack's table…

"What's in your head that got you to come here?" asked Gibbs over a glass of rum.

"I'm going after the Black Pearl."

Gibbs choked on his drink. "Jack, have you gone mad?"

"I did ten years ago. I know where it's going to be, and I'm gonna take you. All I need is a crew."

"But Jack, it's fool's errand. You know better than anyone on this island the tales of the Black Pearl!"

"That's why I know what Barbossa is up to."

"And what makes you think he's going to give up his ship to you?"

Jack paused and looked over at Will, obviously flirting with Lissie. "Let's just say it's a matter of leverage, savvy?"

Lissie and Beth heard him, but Will didn't.

Yet again, Gibbs looked confused, and it took Jack about five minutes to make him realize that he was talking about Will.

"The brunette?"

"No."

"The blonde?"

"No!"

"The kid?"

"Finally. That happens to be the child of Bootstrap Bill Turner. His only child."

Gibbs looked over. "Really now? I think I feel a change in the wind. I'll find us a crew, don't you worry. There's bound to be some sailors on this rock that are as crazy as you."

"One can only hope."

"Take you can!" said Jack as he held up his glass.

"Give nothing back!"

A/N: It's my 14th birthday!!!!! Make me happy and SEND REVIEWS! You will be forever remembered!