Disclaimer: I do not own the "Pirates of the Caribbean" or any other parts of Walt Disney's creations. I only own the characters I create and the storyline changes that I made, since this takes place during the movie. Enjoy mates!

Chapter 5: A Challenge

Natalie walked aboard the ship and smiled again. The Caribbean was definitely a beautiful place to be. She opened the door to the Captain's cabin and shut the door behind her. It was very clean and she knew that this is where she would be spending her days if she wasn't on deck. The Interceptor soon began to move and Natalie plopped down on the bed and closed her eyes.

"OW!" she yelled as she felt something sharp poke her in the side. When she opened her eyes, she saw Jack standing over her. "What the hell are you doing, Jack?"

"What am I doing? What the hell are ye doing in me bed?"

"First of all, this is NOT your bed since this isn't your ship and second of all, I don't see how you can claim ownership of this when I'm the one laying in it!"

"Now normally I wouldn't hit a woman, but in this case.I'll make an exception," Jack said with an evil grin as he grabbed her arm and dragged her off the bed.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Sparrow?"

"It's CAPTAIN Sparrow to you and you had better learn to respect me!"

"Well, YOU had better learn to respect me you son-of-a-bitch!" Jack's eyes widened at her language. She was just as bad as the pirates he had dealt with over the years.and they were men. "So, you want the bed?"

"No.I want to spend my nights on the floor," Natalie replied with a sarcastic tone.

"Then how about we parry for it."

"Excuse me?"

"I said, 'how about we parry for it'."

"So you want me to fight you?"

"You're a fast-learner for a teenage girl." Natalie shot him a dirty look and crossed her arms. Just then, Jack realized that she was not the type of woman to anger. "Okay, Jack.here's the deal. If I beat you in a swordfight, I get the bed until we find the Black Pearl."

"And if I win?" Jack interrupted.

"If you win, you get the bed."

"We have an accord," he replied as he extended his hand and shook Natalie's firmly. They both felt something when their hands touched and they both knew it. Natalie quickly pulled away and walked back onto the deck. The crew was going about their business and didn't even seem to notice her standing there. Will turned around and saw her, but shouted, "O'CONNELL, BEHIND YOU!" She ducked out of the way and saw Jack waving his sword around like a madman. "What the fuck are you doing, Captain?!" she yelled as she ducked away from him again.

"Ye never said ye needed a sword for our challenge, love," he replied joyously.

"SHIT!" Natalie shouted again as she ducked away from Jack's blade and ran behind Will. She then grabbed his sword from his waist and pushed him out of her way. "Thanks, Mr. Turner. Don't worry.you'll get it back."

"Okay, just don't get hurt, Natalie. He bloody cheats!"

"He's a pirate!" she yelled out as she ran at Jack and blocked one of his swings, "Of course he cheats!" As they continued to fight, Natalie soon realized that a bet using swords was not her best agreement. Jack was a lot stronger and a few inches taller than her, so it was difficult to fight against him. "Why couldn't I have agreed to martial arts?" she asked herself and she blocked another one of Jack's blows and ended up pinned against the mast of the ship. Just then, the entire crew ran over to watch. "Jack, leave her alone!" Anamaria shouted.

"Lass, she wants the bed, she has to fight for it."

"Jack," Natalie interrupted while she was pinned between him and the mast, "Since you're using clever strategies, can I use my own?"

"Of course, love.but it'll be kinda hard to get outta me grasp all by ye onesies."

"Not really," she replied seductively and smiled at him. She lowered her left hand to his waist and stroked his hip, keeping her right hand and her sword against his. "Now, love.that's not the best thing to do to a pirate like meself."

"That's not what I had in mind," she said with a grin as she grabbed his gun and then kicked him in the shin. The jolt of pain caused him to jump back and he saw now that she had his gun pointed at him. "How'd ye-?"

"You underestimate me, Sparrow.so if you'll excuse me," she said with another smile as she grabbed a rope hanging from the mast and climbed up to the crow's nest. Everyone watched her with astonished eyes. "What does she have, monkey blood?" Gibbs asked Jack.

"I don't know.but she's up to something." Natalie placed the gun in the crow's nest ad slid back down the mast to face the Captain. "And what, pray tell, did ye do that for?"

"I didn't want you to cheat and use your gun to win this fight. Now where were we?" she asked as she took a swing at Jack and nearly missed his head. He was surprised at how incredibly talented her fighting skills were. They had been fighting for another ten minutes when Natalie ended up pinned against the mast.again! "I see we're back where we started. Why don't ye just forfeit and save yourself some pain."

"NEVER!" she yelled as she kicked him in the groin and saw him fall back on the ground. He clutched his sword as tight as he possibly could and swung at her to keep her at a distance, but he cut her left arm. Natalie cringed at the pain, but it didn't stop her. She eventually grabbed the sword from his hand and threw it up into the air. It hit the bottom of the crow's nest and stuck there. She then handed her sword back to Will and smiled as she said, "Now it's time for MY fighting!" When she looked back at Jack, he was standing with his arms crossed. "Ye threw me sword up there.how am I supposed to beat ye?"

"Use your own strength," Natalie replied with a smirk, "I'll even let ye have a free swing at me!"

"I don't need your charity," Jack replied as he raised his fists to his face and took a swing at her jaw. Unfortunately, he missed and she was gone. "Where the hell-?" He was cut off when he felt something smack him in the back of the head. His eyes rolled back into his head and he fell forward, hitting his head on the deck. The entire crew gasped as they saw that Natalie had knocked him out and was standing behind where he once was. "You beat Captain Sparrow? That's impossible!" one of the men shouted.

"I guess it's not," Natalie said with a gracious smile as she knelt down next to Jack and rolled him onto his back. He was indeed out cold. "Gibbs, take Jack to the cabin and let him rest a while." He nodded his head to the girl and did what he was told as Anamaria took the helm and the crew went back to work.