A/N1: Hisss… You know, I really thought I would have this chapter up sometime mid-week, but what happens? My time is utterly consumed with cooking in preparation for Thanksgiving, then Thanksgiving itself, and finally, yesterday, when I think I'll have time to write… The power goes out. I am deeply sorry, all! If school isn't too horrible, then I shall put these chapters up with much greater frequency!
A/N2: And now… my rant over… and without ANY further ado, what you've ALL been waiting for… Tortuga!!! (Oh, and as this is an integral part of me fic, Tortuga shall be split into parts :P)
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"... More importantly, it is indeed a sad life that has never breathed deep the sweet proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga, savvy? What do you think?" he was now walking with a walking stick, one that he had randomly caught from brawling men. Interesting.
"It'll linger," Will said. Well that was certainly one way of putting it…
" I'll tell you mate, if every town in the world were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted."
"And every woman with an ounce of intellect would kill herself," Leah mumbled.
Before Jack could reply, one of the said women without an ounce of intellect began to come towards them. Sparing only one glance to Leah, the pirate made as if to welcome her. "Scarlet!" Leah couldn't help but grin as she witnessed the woman slap Jack. Or perhaps women would simply do that…
As for Jack's reaction… Well, let us just say that neither Leah nor Will had any doubt in their minds that he did indeed deserve that.
And here came another one!
"Giselle!" And he was slapped again after the reasoning behind said blow had been revealed.
"I may have deserved that," Jack admitted hesitantly. No, really?
"Sparrow," Leah sighed, shaking her head, "You deserve everything you get." Only after this statement passed her lips did Leah realize its double-meaning. Perfect…
Taking another look around at the complete and utter anarchy that was Tortuga, Leah shook her head, sighing. This was going to be a night of some remembrance.
"Perhaps you shouldn't…" Leah murmured, eyeing the buckets Will and Jack were carrying with dismay. Before them, there was a man, a man who seemed very familiar but whose identity she could not seem to quite grasp, asleep upon pigs. The smell was sickening in and of itself, and the site was pathetic… but still, it was just a tad bit rude to pour a bucket of water upon a man.
"If I could wake him any other way, I would. But I can't," Jack informed her, and before she could make another comment, he had thrown the entire bucket of water at the poor sleeping man. Leah cringed.
"Curse you for breathing, you slack jawed idiot!" were the first words out of his mouth, but then, once he noticed who had actually woken him up… "Mother's love! Jack ! You should know better then to wake a man when he's sleeping. 'S bad luck.
"Ah, fortunately I know how to counter it," Jack replied, moving towards the now-damp figure, "The man who did the waking buys, the man who was sleeping, a drink. The man who was sleeping drinks it while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking." Leah blinked, shocked that she understood that. Well, this pirate wasn't as fatuous as he at first appeared. It seemed to take a while for the man who had once been asleep to absorb it fully though. Wait… she recognized him now! Before either of them could say a word- she cut into the middle of people's conversations' quite frequently now that she had a reason to speak it seemed- Leah spoke.
"Mr. Gibbs?" she exclaimed, stepping forward, ignoring the revulsion she felt from the stench of this place.
Still on the floor, he looked over at her, as did Jack with the most peculiar expression on his face… It was obvious Will had his eyes on her too, although she could not see him. "Miss Swann?" he demanded, and looked over at jack. "Jack, what she be doin' here? Why isn' she safe at Port Royale?"
"Long story, mate. One too long to be telling you in a literal pigsty, I'm afraid," Jack said, with body language as usual.
"Good God," Leah murmured to herself, stepping back, as Mr. Gibbs gave Jack an "Aye, a'right," and was helped to his feet. The moment he reached a standing position, William moved past her and doused the man who had been sleeping with another bucket of water. The young Swann, 17 as opposed to her sister's 19, was forced to jump back to avoid getting splashed herself. It wasn't as if she had any spare clothing to change into handy.
"Will, what was-"
"Blast I'm already awake!"
"That was for the smell."
She could do nothing but blink and look over at Mr. Gibbs, who was more or less nodding in agreement.
"My Lord, it's worse in here than it is on the street," Leah said in disbelief, looking around the inn from the doorway. First floor tavern, and second floor rooms for the night. But this place was simply too much…
"Ah, but you haven't seen the whole of the street," Jack pointed out. Mr. Gibbs nodded in agreement for about the second time in the span of ten minutes whilst Will looked over at Jack very oddly before scanning the rest of the room. Leah… said nothing.
"You all go and sit over there. I'm going to get me and Gibbs here a drink." While Jack walked away, the three of them had no choice but to comply. They made their way to the table in the corner, Mr. Gibbs sitting down at the table, while Will stood, watching the various fights and brawls intently. Leah felt safest standing near him.
After a few minutes, a very peculiar time for the simple task of buying two alcoholic beverages in a place like this, Jack could be seen moving towards them. "Keep a sharp eye, the both of you," he told them, and then moved past. Leah surveyed the room once before gripping a fist tight hidden between her skirts, not quite so many as all she had one was a bodice. What was she doing here?
Under normal circumstanced, she would have watched Sparrow and Mr. Gibbs intently, attempting to catch each and every word they uttered… But at the moment, she couldn't have bothered. Too deep in her own little reverie, and, sadly, her own self-pity. When a random wench started to get far too friendly with Will, she barely noticed herself wandering away into the seclusion of the crowd. She only noticed just how far away she was from the rest of the group when she reached an isolated, darkened corner of the tavern. She could no longer see anyone but the gaggle of goons that made up the inn's clientele, and had absolutely no idea where she had ambled over from. How much time had elapsed? 5 minutes? More? Less? Taking a slow methodical glance around, she was about to walk out further into the room when, without any warning whatsoever, she was crushed into the wall.
It was a brute of a man, one you would expect to go around killing people for pleasure. Ironically enough, or perhaps not so, this wasn't so very far from the truth.
"What are you- release me, you-"
"Shh," the man warned, putting a dagger to her throat. Leah gasped and began to struggle, wriggling around. The man grinned maliciously and ground against her, causing her to freeze. "Now, what'd you do that for, dearie?"
"Lord, someone, hel-"
"Uh, uh, uh," the man warned, digging the cold edge of the metal deeper into her flesh. She swallowed, said nothing. "It's not as if that'll do you any good 'ere, me pretty. No one'll notice 'r care."
Leah shut her eyes, turning her head to the side. This could not be happening. This could not-
"I suggest… you let 'er go, mate," a voice warned. The gray-blue of her eyes was clearly visible as the lids snapped open, her head jerking to face whomsoever it was who had spoken. For once in her life, she was glad to see Captain Jack Sparrow, his blade pressed tightly against the would-be rapist's throat. How was this for a turn of events?
The cutthroat put his arms up, moving back slowly. Leah let out a sigh of relief upon being released, her legs wobbling beneath her as she stayed leaned against the wooden wall. She was still in shock.
"Now, I didn' want no trouble, mate. I didn'…" Fumbling, the man attempted to dive at Jack with his dagger, but the pirate was easily able to evade the blow and kick the man in the back, sending him sprawling. Coming towards them, Leah noticed Will, but before he could do his part in attacking the brute, he had scampered away like the scum he was.
"You all right, darling?" Sparrow inquired, sheathing his sword. Her arms wrapped around her person, Leah nodded numbly, gaze focused on the floor.
"Leah, did he hurt you? Did he-"
"I'm fine Will," she breathed, her hands visibly shaking as each held the opposite arm, as if holding her very being together. "But, I would very much like a room of some sort…"
Very close to her, almost violating her private space, Jack nodded. "Aye."
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Today, and today only, free COOKIES OF CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW WITH RUM AND BONFIRES FOR ALL REVIEWERS! So, R&R to receive this handsome treat! :D
