The Dancer

Chapter 5: The Drinking Contest

Authors Note: Hope yall like this. I was thinking about whether or not I liked all day and finally decided I'd leave it up to you guys to decide if it was good or not.

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Taking a long drink from his rum to steady his nerves a bit more Jack looked at Diana, who was sitting calmly draped the chair, only half- interested in him. He took it as an opportunity to run the length of her skin tight costume with his eyes. She looked overly comfortable, even for a dancer, in the revealing clothing.

Only when the blonde waitress walked up and set two more full drinks before then did Diana turn in her chair to face him. She had managed to slam back all of her rum with incredible easy at first but now she seemed to take things slower.

"So, did you enjoy the show Captain Sparrow?" Diana asked him, licking the alcohol from her lips seductively.

"Mmm... it wasn't bad." Jack remarked, not about to let her win this. "Could've been better though luv; especially with a body like that." He added suggestively.

"Oh? Well Captain Sparrow I'm afraid that's the best act I can manage to perform here." Diana informed him mischievously.

"Perhaps publicly... how 'bout you show me what other acts you can perform in private?"

"I see the rumors about your manners with women were true then Capitan Sparrow," Diana moved to take another sip of rum but the mug was brought away from her lip. She looked at Jack Sparrow with a slightly annoyed expression.

"Take me up on my offer lass; I'll let you confirm the OTHER rumors for yourself." He had a lopsided smirk.

"WHICH other rumors Captain Sparrow? I don't think you'd be pleased to know the other rumors I've heard about you." She teased and finally managed to take a sip of rum.

"That I might be; what else have you heard?" Jack wondered suspiciously.

"I've heard quite a bit. Especially quite a bit about certain..." Diana seemed to be searching for the right word. "... Inadequacies... that you posses."

"Inadequacies eh?" Jack frowned a bit. "Well why don't I leave it up to you to decide how 'inadequate' I am?"

"That's alright Captain Sparrow, I'm not interested." Diana waved him off.

"Are you sure lass?" Diana gave an uncharacteristic start as Jack's rough hand came up and turned her face towards him so that he was looking into her eyes. "'Cause once you've had Jack you'll never go back." His grin was wide.

"Mister Sparrow-"

"Captain."

"MISTER Sparrow... I find your arrogance repulsive, your manners atrocious, your forwardness disturbing and your bluntness distasteful. You have an utter lack of tact. I am not a whore and therefore do not appreciate being treated like one." Diana hissed, standing up. She was truthfully upset that he had surprised her. She was supposed to know everything before it happened damn it; she was never wrong!

"Listen luv," Jack growled at her between his teeth. He grabbed her wrist and forcefully pulled her down into her seat once more. They'd gained quite a bit of attention. "Let's get this straight- I came here to see a show and buy you a drink. YOU were the one who was climbing on ME during the performance. So don't go off talking to me about manners and forwardness like yer some innocent little girl."

"Let go of me Mister Sparrow." Diana was trying to keep her temper. "At the slightest sign from me the two security guards over there will be on you in a second. It is not wise to tempt me to use such a power."

"I want yer word there'll be no more outbursts during the conversation."

"Fine..." Diana took a deep breath and let it out, apparently regaining her composure. She would not lose this. She withdrew her hand the instant Jack's grip was loose enough to let it out of his grasp. "Why did you come here today?"

"No reason. Just thought it might be interestin' to talk to you a bit more." Jack shrugged.

"Is that so? Well talk away, I haven't got much else to do or trust me, I'd be doing it." She felt a rush of satisfaction as Jack flinched at the words a bit. He apparently didn't like to be referred to as boring any more then he liked it hinted that he was inadequate.

"I got a question for ya." Jack began, taking a sip of rum.

"Well go ahead." Diana prompted. Celeste brought them two more rums, stirring an interesting idea in Diana's head. Jack had already had two drinks before her act... it would most certainly hurt a pirates pride to be drunk under the table by a dancer.

"Where'd a lass like you get such proper grammar."

"Like me? What do you mean by that?" Diana sounded slightly offended.

"I mean a dancer in Tortuga. Most girls 'ere are whores but... nobody has proper grammar like you... and they all 'ave accents; you don't. I can't place you." Jack elaborated, his speech becoming more slurred and sounding more pirate-like with every drink he took.

"My 'proper grammar', as you call it, is due to where and how I was raised."

"Which would be..." Jack made a gesture with his hand that signaled that she should be continuing the story.

"New Orleans I suppose. After that it was just traveling and things I picked up." She shrugged.

"New Orleans? Why don't you have an accent?"

"The same reason I don't have a French accent or an Irish accent... or any other type of accent for that matter. I simply cover up the accent when I'm away from that place. I don't need EVERYBODY to know where I came from. The accent serves its purpose if I need it but otherwise it can get in my way."

"I see." Jack thought for a moment. "That doesn't answer my question though."

"Which one? You have so many." Diana rolled her eyes and reclined in the chair a bit. Celeste was bringing them two more mugs of rum.

"The firs' one."

"Oh that. Well I'm afraid that telling you the answer to that question could be a danger to my way of life, and therefore I cannot tell it to you. Your turn to answer a question for me."

"'a'righ." Jack was starting to look like he'd pass out at any second, he'd downed at least seven large mugs of rum by now due to their continued drinking throughout the conversation.

"Have you ever lost a drinking contest?" Diana asked.

"'course not. I c'n drink any man under the table!" Jack declared.

"Mmm... but can you drink a woman under the table?"

"'re ye challengin' Jack Sparrow 't a drinkin' contest?"

"Aye." Diana mocked his drunken pirate manner of speaking.

"What be the prizes?" Jack looked at her hungrily, practically undressing her with his eyes. It was all too apparent to Diana what it was that he wanted.

"Hmm... if I win..." The redhead had to consider this. She couldn't particularly think of anything that she could want from this pirate. "You'll have to owe me a favor... on your word as a pirate captain you'll have to fulfill it once I think of it." She felt that would cover any future things she might think of. "If you win-"

"I get you." Jack interrupted. The look on his face was serious but his eyes still sparkled back at his companion.

"Agreed." Diana nodded, startling Jack. He hadn't expected her to give in so easily to that suggestion. "If you win then you can do as you please with me." Diana restated the words for him; he liked the sound of it.

They both finished their current drinks before Celeste returned again wit two more to replace them with. They'd start setting empty mugs on the table as they finished. Before Celeste left them Diana leaned towards her, "Keep the rum flowing, we're having a drinking contest." She informed. Celeste looked between the already drunk Jack and the apparently utterly sober Diana and had to hold back a laugh. With nod she walked behind the bar to begin spreading the news.

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Nearly an hour later the contest was still going. The table was surrounded by the patrons of the bar, all of them taking bets on who the winner would be. The tabletop itself was completely cluttered with empty mugs of rum. Soon they would need to start stacking them on the ground if things kept up.

On one side of the table sat Jack Sparrow, trying his best to look cool and confident in his drunken state of mind and almost passing... were it not for the fact that he was leaning at a fairly awkward angle. On the side was Diana, her legs crossed so that the skirt revealed part of her leg. The only betrayal of her own intoxication was the rosy color in her cheeks.

Diana had to give Jack credit, not only had he lasted longer she had estimated he would... but he had outlasted all previous records of those she'd challenged. She had been wrong to think that he was drunken before; it became clear after they'd agreed on the terms that he was very much sober himself; the changes in speech and the slurring were all a ruse to get her to fall in to his trap and agree to his bet. Diana would have to kick herself for missing that later.

By now however it was beyond obvious that the drunkenness that Jack displayed was not practiced. He wasn't invincible when it came to drinking and that was a relief to Diana... however she was reluctant to admit to herself that she was also quite smashed. Sure she could put on a show outside and pretend that she was perfectly sober... that was easy... but inside she could feel the world swaying about. Luckily nobody had noticed that the way she sat carefully hid that she was bracing herself on the chair to keep from swaying.

By the time Celeste had brought the next two drinks it was apparent to everyone this would be the deciding moment. There was no way the both could withstand this much alcohol... if nobody passed out this round then there was at least a good chance someone would be coming out of there clothes before the night was over (and the men all not-so-secretly hoped that person would be Diana).

Carefully and with practiced movements she'd learned in previous drinking contests, Diana took her mug and lifted it to her lips. She was drunk enough to barely see double but not drunk enough that she couldn't tell which was which. She looked dead at Jack Sparrow and licked her lips again before drinking it all and slamming down the mug.

Jack Sparrow had to force himself not to gawk as the mug clattered hollowly to the table. 'Oh shit...' was the only thought that really registered itself in his mind. He watched Diana lean back in her chair. Well he might as well fake his way through it and hope he didn't lose. Even with the effects of the alcohol on his mind he was still very well aware that he would never live down loosing to this girl.

Diana arched an eyebrow in amusement as Jack reached for his drink and his hand missed it completely. The pirate withdrew the hand with an almost sheepish look. This time he grasped the mug firmly and held it up, eying the liquid. He swallowed and closed his eyes before he brought it to his lips, drinking it down... finishing the drink... and then falling slowly out of his chair and onto the hard ground with a thump.

There was a brief moment of silence as all eyes followed Jack's form as he fell and lay on the floor for a moment. Then all at once a cheer erupted for Diana, not unlike the applause she received for her nightly performances. She was congratulated heartily for her triumph before the men went about collecting the money they bet, moving further away from the table as they did so. It was almost time for the bar to close its doors to those that were not staying in the inn upstairs. Diana's show was usually fairly soon to closing in the bar and now that the contest was over most of the men were filtering out.

Steadying herself on the table and chair Diana stood up, walking slowly to the bar so as not to upset her already spinning head. The bartender was congratulating her as was Celeste and the members of the band gathered around the bar.

"What should we do with the good Captain?" Nathaniel joked, pointing to Jack's still prone body on the floor. Diana eyed the unconscious pirate for a moment before shaking her head.

"It seems like it's too much trouble to take him all the way back to his ship at the dock and I don't think leaving him outside in Tortuga is a particularly good idea either..." She reasoned aloud to both herself and the others.

"Well what does that leave us with? We can't leave him in the bar all night." Nathaniel pointed out the obvious problem.

"If Sam can carry him then I don't particularly mind if he stays up in my room." Diana sighed in defeat. Sometimes her minds reasoning baffled even herself.

"You're kidding, right?!" Celeste exclaimed. "Do you know what he'd do to you if-"

"Look, I don't think that he's going to be waking up anytime soon... and even if he does he's going to have one hell of a headache. He won't try anything. Trust me, just leave him up there and I'll be fine."

"I-"Nathaniel began to argue but stopped. The look in Diana's eyes told him that arguing wasn't going to work. "Sam you heard her." He called to the biggest of the two 'security guards' that were sitting nearby. Sam nodded and went to pick up the pirate and bring him upstairs.

"Third door on the right." Diana called and tossed him a key.

"Got it." Sam replied as he caught the key and began to walk up the stairs.

"Diana why are you letting that pirate stay in your room? Weren't you the one who wanted to crush his ego." The barkeep questioned.

"Yes. I still do, believe me. However it would be too difficult to take him down to the docks, it's not fair to just leave him out in the streets and I need to talk to him when he wakes up. This way I can talk to him in the morning. Trust me I'm quite safe in my room, I can handle a pirate." She replied to their doubting gazes.

"I see you haven't changed a bit duckling." Came a voice from the shadows of the bar. The familiar, icy voice sent an unseen shiver through Diana's body and made her blood run cold.

'It can't be,' she thought. 'Why would he be here...' But as she turned around and her eyes fell on the dark form in the shadows her fears were confirmed. A lean man with long black hair and unbelievably pale skin in a black traveling cloak was walking towards her. As he drew near Diana kept taking steps back until she was against the bar. The man didn't stop his pace until he was only three inches away from Diana, who was looking away.

"Now, now, is that any way to greet me duckling? After I traveled all this way to check up on you all you do is back away?" He took her chin in one pale hand and lifted it to face him forcefully. His ice blue eyes looked mockingly into Diana's and she remained very silent.

"Diana is everything... alright?" Nathaniel questioned, reminding both Diana and the stranger that there were others present. By now Sam returned to the side of the other security guard and they were both eying the stranger uncertainly.

"Your friend asked you a question... DIANA..." The man hissed her name out less then an inch from her lips. Diana was not putting up a fight but instead sat there like a helpless rag doll, her breathing and eye movement the only signs that she was alive.

"Hey! It doesn't matter who you are, if you're going to behave like that we're going to have to escort you out." Sam threatened, drawing the man's attention.

"No!" Diana cried out suddenly. All eyes were on her. "It's fine Sam, don't worry about it. He's a- he used to be an associate of mine... before I came to work here. I was just a little startled to see him here is all."

The entire group looked at her skeptically. No one had ever seen her like this before. She was never frightened by anyone and never let anyone push her around... but she seemed terrified of this man, whoever he was.

"I'm sorry to leave so suddenly everyone... but it seems I have a few unexpected business matters to attend to." She held out her hand to Sam and obediently he placed her key in it. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine." She assured them all as she saw their concern. "I think I'll just take care of this business and get to sleep."

Without another word she began walking up the stairs, the man in the cloak followed her in silence, letting her lead him into the room. His heavy steps could be heard the entire way in contrast to Diana's clicking heels on the wood. Only when Diana had unlocked the door and allowed him entry into her rooms could the noise no longer be heard. She had shut and locked the door carefully, knowing that it would be best for her friends not to hear this.

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::NEXT::

Chapter 6: Memories Best Left Forgotten

Authors Note: Ooooh... the antagonist is finally introduced! Hehe... I have the entire story planned out in my head luckily and I'm personally pleased with that fact. Why? Because it's got a plot! A protagonist, antagonist, etc. From here on out things will be getting a lot more interesting and while some stuff is going to start making sense and coming clear other things will start to come to light that are going to leave you wondering.

Thanks:

Dawnie-7: I'm glad you liked my adaptation. I wasn't sure what I was afraid of more, angry Pirates of the Caribbean fans or angry Moulin Rouge fans. Hehe. Oh yea; Jack in a Jessica Rabbit dress... I'm really going to have to draw a picture of that and post it somewhere now... I wanna see it.

Lady Deidra: Me glad you like.

Commodores R Ppl 2: HUZZAH! HUZZAH! Hehehe. I love your name. I'm glad you liked it as well. That song rocks! I've decided there will be more Moulin Rouge adaptations in this... however they will be slightly different of course so as to fit with this story.

Pineapple*Ice: Heh. I don't know... she might kick his ass eventually. Heh. However her behavior towards the end of the last chapter was meant to tie in with what will be revealed in future chapters. I can't say more about it now but you'll see what I mean. And now, for Pineapple*Ice's enjoyment...

*Jack appears*

Jack: Hey what-

*Briannarabbit and Pineapple*Ice approach Jack with poking fingers ready*

Jack: Whoa now luv's... *is backing away*

*Briannarabbit and Pineapple*Ice jump on Jack and the poke fest begins!*

*poke**poke**poke**poke*

Jack: Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! *grumpily resigns himself to being poked while mumbling something about rum and eggs*