I know it's been taking me a while to update, I am so sorry. I truly am! As an apology gift I give to you…..LIFE SIZE JACK POSTERS! WOOO!

Ok on to the chapter.

~~~

After that we just sat there for a moment in complete silence. I watched Will steer for a moment before Jack ran up to him and pushed him aside saying he was a disgrace to ship steerers everywhere. It got a little giggle out of me, but the look Will gave me as he brushed past silenced it immediately. I turned and watched him go below decks to get something for dinner. It really hurt me that he was so upset, but it didn't really matter that much if it meant him nor I not getting hurt. Elizabeth I didn't mind so much.

I turned back around after he had gone down the stairs to realize that I was alone on deck with Jack. His presence was a bit unnerving. I kind of got the got the feeling that he was an unsteady cannon, ready to go off and do whatever he wanted at any moment. I judged that by his tanned complexion that he was not one to hide from the sun. I could plainly see the scar that deemed him a pirate and the tattoo that deemed him Jack Sparrow on his right arm, which he was using to steer.

There was something about him I didn't trust.

"Are you still back there?" He asked turning around to face me.

"Yes. I am." I replied timidly taking a step back. I wasn't feeling very comfortable with him. After all, he was a pirate.

"Come 'ere!" he said with a grin on his face. "I won't bite ya, I promise!" He opened his arm and gestured that I join him up by the wheel.

"I am fine where I am thank you." I replied taking another step back.

"You sure? Don't you want to come up here and see what it's like to steer a ship?" He said coyly. To be quite honest, I did. I slowly walked up to him and he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "Atta girl," I stiffened as he squeezed my shoulder.

Honestly, I didn't like him being that close to me. "Can you let me go please?" I asked through clenched teeth.

"Certainly." He replied dropping his hand. "Put your hands right here while I get out me compass." He continued placing my hands on the wheel, "Try not to move them, savvy?"

"Yea, sure." I replied concentrating on not letting the wheel turn.

Jack took out his compass and looked at it. I glanced over at it and noticed something, "Jack-your compass doesn't point north."

He looked down at me quizzically for a moment and then looked back at his compass. "It doesn't does it?"

"Why is that?" I asked as he took over steering again.

"I don't know." Jack replied squinting at the horizon.

"Well, how do you know where you are going?" I asked looking up trying to see what he was squinting at.

"I just do." He replied sighing. "You should go below and tell young William that we are nearing Tortuga."

I stepped down from the helm and turned back up to look at Jack. "Why don't you want me sailing back to Port Royal from Tortuga?"

He turned to face me and gave me a sly smile, "Oh, you'll see."

~

The moment we stepped off the ship I knew why I wasn't to sail back from Tortuga. It was filthy, repulsive, loud, and disgusting. And that was only the pier.

"Welcome to the most wonderful port in all the seven seas!" Jack yelled spreading his arms wide, as though welcoming us to some lavish estate.

Looking around as we walked I saw several men look hungrily in my direction. Will noticed also and pulled me closer. I felt very safe being tucked under his arm, very happy too. "Stay close to me." He said.

Jack noticed Will and I being rather clingy to each other and turned to us. "Aw, don't worry you two, nothing is going to happen to ye as long as your with me."

"For some reason Jack, I find that hard to take comfort in." I replied.

"Scarlet!" he exclaimed ignoring me and walking off to some brunette whom was scantily clad. To my amusement Jack was slapped right in the face before he could utter another word. She turned and walked off with a bounce in her step. "Not sure I deserved that."

"He probably did." Will whispered in my ear.

But as soon as she was gone, another walked up to us, "Giselle!" he said smiling.

"Who was she?" she asked tilting her head in the direction of the brunette.

"Huh?" Jack replied looking dumb. As an answer she too slapped him across the face.

"That looked like it hurt." I whispered to Will who nodded.

"Alright, I might have deserved that one." Jack said as Giselle walked off.

"Jack, you really have to learn to treat woman better." I said to Jack giving him 'The Eye'.

But much to my disdain, he just shrugs and walks off to a grungy looking barn. Will follows and pulls me along tugging on my dress.

"We really need to find you something better to wear that is suitable for public." He says pushing a man away who came up asking for my 'services'

"If it will make them stop, I will gladly do it." I said. I thought, 'But if it means you have to take your arm from my shoulder, I would hope I never find clothes.'

"Here." Jack said as he abruptly stopped and handed me a bucket full of water.

"Where did you get this?" I asked looking around, and not noticing a well anywhere.

"Over there." Jack replied pointing to a hold in the ground.

"That is disgusting." I said grimacing.

"Eh, listen love, if this guy right here doesn't wake up when I throw this at him," Jack held up another bucket. "Then I want you to throw yours at him."

"Alright." I said looking down at what a moment before appeared to be four pigs, but it turned out one of them was a man.

He was fast asleep using a pig's stomach for a pillow. Jack tossed the water at the man, who presently woke up and swore. Jack sat back and looked like he hadn't done a thing wrong.

"Mornin mate."

"Wha's goin on?" the man asked.

"I have a proposition for you." Jack replied leaning down into the man.

Will and I tried to catch what they were talking about, but it was impossible to hear over the roar of the mob like crowd milling around behind us.

"What is that smell?" I asked Will after we stood back up.

He looked strange as he scrunched up his nose and replied. "I think it's that man, I'll bet he hasn't bathed in years."

I giggled a little, and was about to say something when Jack bounded back up from his crouching position and turned to us with a giant grin on his face. "To the pub!" he cried.

Will nudged me in the side a little, and jerked his head in the dirty man's direction. I smiled and tossed the water at the man.

"What was that fer I am already awake!" he yelled shaking his head.

I looked at Will as he replied, "That was for the smell."

I laughed out loud as the man looked like he was about to say something, however he just shrugged and followed Jack.

~

inside, the pub was just as bad, if not worse than it was on the outside. I walked in and looked around taking in my surroundings. A man was sitting in the corner with two woman all over him, and another was sitting two feet to his right taking down drinks almost as fast as they were being given to him.

With a flourished turn, Jack faced us and held up two hands with one finger pointed up. "You," he said lowering one finger to Will, "And you," he continued pointing the other at me, "Stay here." He squinted his eyes and turned back around.

As he walked off I leaned against the wall with an exasperated sigh, "Why is he so odd?" I asked turning to Will.

"You have known him as long as I have." He replied shrugging. Will paused for a moment and leaned back against the wall. "He knew my father."

"Really?" I asked with keen interest. "Did he say what he was like?"

"Yea." He replied softly. I waited a moment for him to say more, but he didn't.

As I put my hand on his arm to ask him to continue, a fairly large woman walked up to Will and said to him, "Hey son, lookin fer a good time?"

I let my hand down on Will's arm and thinking like a woman of the night said in the best seductive voice I could muster, "Sorry darling, but this one is taken for the evening."

"Hmph." Said the woman as she turned and walked away.

"Thanks." Will said after a moment, "But that just make me think about getting you out of here right now. You are becoming more and more like one of them with every step." He finished with a teasing smile.

I playfully slapped his arm, and just as I opened my mouth to say something, Jack came bounding up with the drunken walk he always seemed to have.

"Well m' beautiful lady, and m'gentleman, tomorrow we will have a crew to get us to the Black Pearl." he said smiling down at me.

"And to find Elizabeth right?" Will asked.

"Yes, yes her too." Jack replied waving his arms. "Come! Now it is time for a good nights rest!"

And with that we left the pub and made our way down the road.

~~~

I happen to enjoy the company of food. YAY for food!