[A/N: Hey! This is my first fan fic. Please R/R!]

Disclaimer: I do not own Jack Sparrow, Josamee Gibbs, or Tortuga.

Michelle searched around her one room apartment looking for some food. Finding nothing, she said, "I'll just sneak some food at work like I always do."

She tiptoed out of her apartment and silently closed the door. She didn't want the landlord to-

"Michelle," said a cold voice behind her. "You haven't paid your rent yet."

Michelle sighed and turned around to face her skinny landlord. "I'm sorry Mr. Noll. I don't have the money. But I'll give it to you tomorrow when I come back from work."

"You told me that last week Michelle. If you don't pay me by tomorrow, I'm going to have to throw you out."

"I promise Mr. Noll," Michelle replied flashing him a brilliant smile.

"Hurry on to work now. You don't want to be late."

"Bye Mr. Noll!" shouted Michelle as she ran down the street. After passing two blocks of drunks, she finally got to the bar she worked at, Christina's Pub "Home of Tortuga's Best Rum". She opened the door and wound her way through all the men that crowded the room and made her way to the bar.

"Finally you're here Michelle!" screamed Christina, the owner, over the yelling of the men. "Fill in for Clara."

Michelle walked up to a blonde woman working at the bar and tapped her on the shoulder, telling her she could go. Michelle then plastered on a fake smile and asked the man closest to her what he wanted to drink.

A couple hours after she started working, a man with dreadlocks and beads in his hair sat in the empty seat in front of Michelle. "Why don't you get me some of your finest rum love," he told her. From the swaggering way he walked in, Michelle thought that he was drunk without having touched any rum, but he was a customer, so she poured him some rum. He took out a bag with a lot of coins in it and paid for the drink. Michelle started talking to him, and the more she talked, the longer he stayed and bought drinks.

A couple drinks later, Michelle asked, "So, how'd u get all that money to pay for this rum?" He motioned with his finger for her to come closer and whispered, "I'm a pirate. My name is Captain Jack Sparrow." Michelle let out a gasp. Captain Jack Sparrow! The captain of the Black Pearl, the most successful pirate ship in the Caribbean! "And this brings in a lot of money, right?" she asked. "Aye," he replied. Michelle started formulating a plan in her head. "And how would someone become a crew member of your ship?"

"He would have to go see Josamee Gibbs, and Gibbs would decide if the young man can join me crew."

"Man? You don't allow women to be part of your crew?" Michelle asked.

"No. The crew thinks they're bad luck, and I wouldn't want my crew to be mad at me, would I?"

"I guess not." Michelle replied. Then she got an idea. "Captain Sparrow, I know a young boy who needs some money. He's good with a gun and ok with a sword. How would he get a hold of this Gibbs?"

"That's easy. He lives right here in Tortuga. Tell this lad to go up to Gibbs and say, 'Take what you can.' Gibbs will respond with 'Give nothin' back.' Then all he has to do is tell him he wants to join the crew of the Black Pearl. But he better hurry. We're gonna sail off the day after tomorrow."

"Thank you Captain Sparrow."

"Anything for such a lovely lass as you," replied Jack. Right then, another woman tapped Michelle on the shoulder, telling Michelle to switch shifts. "Bye Captain, 'til we meet again." She took her pay from Christina and left for home.

****************

Michelle went home and went straight to bed. A couple hours later she woke up to her landlord threatening to break open the door and personally drag her out onto the street. She heaved herself out of bed, took the money she got at work, and paid him her rent. Since she was awake, she decided to start her plan now. She took the rest of her earnings and went out to town.

In town, Michelle searched for a clothing store and purchased men's clothes and boots that were the closest to her size as she could find. She then bought some gunpowder and bullets and headed back to her apartment. Lastly, she bought a corset.

When Michelle returned home, she put down her purchases and walked to the closet. She reached onto the top shelf and felt around until she found a thin bundle wrapped in an old blanket. She brought it down carefully and unwrapped it. It was her brother's old sword and pistol. Tears formed in her eyes as she remembered her older brother. He set off on a ship to find work with the navy so he could make money for himself and his sister, but his ship sunk when a storm hit. The only possessions he left at the house were his gun and his sword. Michelle didn't think that she'd be seeing these again. A bird calling outside her window snapped her back into the present. She was on a mission and couldn't be stalled by a journey down memory lane. She picked up the sword, and before she chickened out cut off her long brown hair so that it was shoulder length. She gathered the pieces off the ground and threw them out her window into the bushes. Next, she took the corset and cut it so that it would only be the length of her chest. She put on the corset and bound her chest flat. She put on the clothing she bought in town and tied her hair back into a ponytail with a piece of string. She went up to her mirror to examine herself. It was her same hazel eyes, same brown hair, same tan skin, but there was something different about her. She didn't look like Michelle Davis anymore; she looked like a man.

Michelle, adorned with her new clothes and her brother's sword and gun at her hip, went out in search of Gibbs. She asked around and finally found where he lived from a man at a pub. Michelle walked the streets towards Gibbs house. On the way there, she spotted a stretch of beach with no one on it and seagulls flying everywhere. She stepped off the road and onto the beach. Making sure no one was around, she took out her gun and shot at a seagull. Plop! The seagull fell into the water as all the other seagulls squawked and flew in every direction at the sound of the gun. Michelle smiled to herself. "I've still got it," she muttered to herself as she made her way back onto the road.

After a couple of minutes, Michelle found herself in front of Gibbs' front door. She knocked and heard a glass break followed by cursing from inside. The door swung opened and a grumpy man said, "What do ye want?"

Michelle didn't say hello, but said, "Take what you can."

Gibbs seemed taken aback, but replied, as Captain Sparrow said with, "Give nothin' back."

"I want to join the crew of the Black Pearl," Michelle told him.

"Shhh!" hissed Gibbs. "Don't say that so loud! You don't know who can be listening." Gibbs looked around before inviting Michelle into his house.

The house was small and messy with a wooden stool and a couple of chairs in the living room, a wooden table with broken glass next to it surrounded in a puddle of a brown liquid, and another room which was where his bedroom must be. Gibbs turned to Michelle and said, "So why do you want to be part of the crew of the Black Pearl?"

"I need the money. My sister and I live alone and we barely have enough money to pay the rent for our apartment. My sister works at Christina's Pub. Captain Jack Sparrow was in there last night and told her that there may be some openings for new crew members."

"What skills do you have?"

"I can shoot better than most the people on this island. My swordsmanship has room for improvement but I can use a sword. I haven't been on a ship before but I learn things easily, so I'll adapt pretty easily."

Gibbs pondered for a couple of seconds and extended his arm. "Welcome to the Black Pearl. I don't think you told me your name. What is it?"

"Mich- um, Michael," Michelle replied thinking of the closest male name to Michelle. She extended her arm and shook his hand.

"Well, Michael, we set sail tomorrow. Come down to the docks tomorrow in the morning before the sun rises. We set sail when the sun appears over the water."

"Thank you Gibbs," Michelle replied before she closed the door and made her way back home.

[A/N: I hope you liked it! Please R/R!]