Disclaimer: Who wants a shirtless Captain Jack Sparrow? Well, so do I, but I only own him through owning the DVD and maybe a few internet pictures. That's all, so suing me is of no use.

AN: Reviewers still rock! I want to thank you for reviewing my story. Summer vacation is really short for me, so I'll try to write and post as much as I can. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 7: Tortuga, Old Friends, and Jealousy:

Angela's POV:

Two weeks later, as she finished making the bed in the Captain's quarters, Angela couldn't help but think that the journey to Tortuga could not have been longer. In the two weeks that she had been forced to share a cabin with Jack, she had experienced numerous unusual encounters with the Captain.

"Of course, to most women, those encounters would be most welcome," she grumbled as she tucked the last corner under the mattress. The main reason that women would like these "encounters" would be because they all included catching Jack in various states of undress. Although Jack had kept his word about wearing something to bed, there were other problems about sharing a cabin with a member of the opposite sex!

One example had happened three days after Angela had first woken up with a naked Jack next to her. She had walked into the cabin, only to find Jack in the middle of changing his shirt (meaning that his shirt was off and hadn't put on a new one yet). She had turned a bright red before turning and leaving the room, racing to the top deck to get some air and have the sea air wash away her blush. That particular incident hadn't been so bad, but the situations were starting to get worse, as though the Powers Above were trying to torment the poor young woman.

Numerous events began happening after the first "shirt-changing incident." Once, Angela had walked into the cabin again, and had caught Jack finish putting on a new pair of leggings! She had blushed terribly before racing away again. After that, the encounters became almost a daily occurrence, with Angela walking in on Jack in some state of undress, usually when he was just beginning to, or having just finished, changing his shirt or pants. The worst one had happened only two nights ago, when Angela had woken up to find a drunken Jack Sparrow nearly finished with striping out of his clothes to get into bed! Even worse was that Jack had then suggested some "fun in bed" together! Angela had slapped some sense into him before forcing him to put on some clothes before getting into bed. The next day, she had asked to move out, but after listening to Jack apologize to her for an hour about his behavior, she gave in and agreed to stay in his cabin the last two days of the journey to Tortuga.

'At least we're almost there,' Angela thought as she stood up and sighed, gazing around the room.

"Land ho!" cried a voice from above, followed by a huge cheer from the crew.

"Finally!" she cried, throwing her hands up in the air. "I thought we'd never get here!" Maybe she wouldn't have to share a room with Jack while they were here!

An hour later, as the crew tied the ship to the docks, Angela finished changing into a violet dress that Jack had found in the Pearl's stores, claiming that it matched her eyes. As she pulled her hair up into a braided bun, Angela couldn't help but think that Jack was a good man to be around, despite their unfortunate "cabin encounters" and Jack's drunken proposal for a "tumble in bed." After all, it wasn't his fault that he was a pirate who had been deprived of women for who-knows-how-long!

'Perhaps, after today, he'll be a bit more toned down,' she thought, giving herself one last glimpse in the mirror. However, Angela found that she didn't like the idea of Jack sleeping in the same bed with another woman; it was their bed, after all. Shaking her head to clear those thoughts from her mind, she once again turned her attention to her gown.

It really was a nice gown. The entire affair was of two shades of purple, with a dark purple the color of amethysts overlapping a pale purple under layer. The amethyst sleeves, which were loose and went down to just above her elbows, ended in a cloud of soft white lace that hung down a few inches from her elbows. The bodice was tight, but didn't require a corset, for which she was thankful. Angela was even more thankful that, considering they were in the prostitution capital of the Caribbean, the gown didn't show a great deal of her chest.

"Ye look lovely, darling," came a familiar husky voice from behind her.

She whirled around, her eyes wide as she saw her roommate in the doorway of the cabin. "Captain Sparrow!" she gasped. "Honestly, don't you knock before entering a room with a lady inside?!"

Jack grinned. "How many times have I told ye to call me 'Jack,' luv? And why would I knock when ye yerself don't knock before entering the cabin while I'm changing?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Those were accidents," she retorted, hand on her hips. "And I only came in after being told you were elsewhere on the ship!"

Jack was silent for a moment as he looked her up and down, his gaze lingering a bit on her hips before drifting upwards to her eyes. "Ye know, that dress fits ye perfectly, and really matches yer eyes," he commented, effectively changing the subject.

Angela blushed. "Thank you," she said quietly, grateful for the change in topic. "Where did you find such a dress? I wouldn't think such a thing would be on a pirate's looting list."

Jack gave her a smirk. "It normally isn't," he said walking over to her. "But I've had these on the Pearl for a while, and every lady deserves to have something nice to wear, doesn't she? And after what ye've had to go through in life, ye deserve it."

Angela blushed even redder than she already was. "Thank you, Jack," she said, twisting her hands together nervously. A pair of hands on hers stopped her hand movements, and she looked up to see kind brown eyes looking into hers.

"What do ye say we go and meet this friend of mine?" Jack asked, smiling down at her. She nodded, and he pulled on his hat, tattered blue coat, and weapons belt before offering her his arm. "Then let's go, luv." She accepted his offered arm, and the two of them left the cabin, heading towards the pirate paradise of Tortuga.
Jack's POV:

As he escorted her down the main street of Tortuga, the pirate captain couldn't help be feel good about having such a lovely young woman on his arm. However, Angela's unusual combination of purple eyes and night-black hair attracted many admiring glances from drunken pirates. Jack started casting numerous deadly glares at every man who tried to approach the lass at his side, and wrapped a possessive arm around her waist. He caught her glaring up at him and grinned at her in response.

"Just making sure some drunk doesn't try anything on ye, darling," he whispered to her.

Angela blinked at him in surprise before smiling. "Thank you, Jack," she whispered back, edging closer to his side as a bold drunk came up to her.

"Hello, poppet," the drunk said, grinning at her with a mouth full of rotting teeth. His breath smelled like stale alcohol. "Care to have some fun?"

Jack's eyes narrowed, anger flowing through his veins. "No, she doesn't," he growled, pulling out his pistol and aiming it at the drunk. "Now get out of here." The drunk frowned before leaving the two alone. "Are ye alright?" he asked, looking down at her. At her nod, Jack pulled Angela closer as the two of them continued on. They eventually stopped before a green, rundown, one story building at the center of town. Jack raised his hand and knocked a complicated rhythm on a faded green door.
Angela's POV

The door flew open, and there stood a middle aged, blond haired, blue eyed man. Angela couldn't help but stare at the handsome man who was the opposite of Jack. This man was clean-shaven, his blond hair neatly combed and pulled back in a ponytail. His clothes, a set of green pants, black boots, white shirt, and brown vest, were of good quality, and weren't faded, patched, raggedy, or dirty.

'Yes, indeed, this man is the total opposite of Jack,' Angela thought as she assessed the man in front of her. Her thoughts were interrupted by Jack greeting his friend.

"Richard!" Jack exclaimed, his arms flying open.

The man's eyes went wide before a grin emerged on his face. "Jack, ye old dog!" he cried. The two men shared a brief hug before they remembered that Angela was also present.

"Angela, this is Richard Thompson, the friend I told ye about," Jack said, beckoning her forward. "Richard, this is Angela Sharp, our ship's medicine woman."

Angela was surprised when Richard looked her over quickly before bowing respectfully to her. She blushed before responding with a curtsy of her own.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Thompson," Angela said, smiling at him.

"The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Sharp," Richard replied, taking her hand and kissing it.

Angela reddened even more as she continued smiling at him. As Richard released her hand, Angela turned towards Jack, and was surprised to see him frowning slightly at them. However, when he noticed her looking at him, he quickly plastered on his usual grin.

"Well, Richard, what do ye say to continuing this inside?" he said, motioning towards the door with his hands. Richard nodded, and the three filed into the building.

Once inside, Angela's jaw dropped. She had expected the interior of the building to be as rundown as the exterior, but instead, it was the complete opposite. The rooms inside contained decorations and furnishings meant for the wealthy families of the Caribbean! The walls were painted a beautiful, rich red that was trimmed with gold designs along the ceiling, in the corners, and along the floorboards. Red velvet drapes hung over the windows, preventing people from looking inside. Gold banners of the same velvet material hung along the walls, and the cushions on the furnishings were made out of the same red or gold cloths as the hanging draperies. Wooden tables were intricately carved out of either ebony or redwood, giving the room a tasteful air. The overall effect on a person was awe- inspiring. Her look around the room was interrupted by a familiar voice in her ear.

"Glad that ye like the decorations, luv," Jack whispered. "But ye might want to shut yer mouth now." Angela closed her mouth and turned to glare at him. Jack simply shrugged before going to the parlor and taking a seat on a comfortable-looking couch made out of ebony and gold velvet cushions. Angela sat next to him as Richard took a redwood, red-cushioned chair across from them.

"Now, Jack, what bring ye here to my humble home?" Richard asked, leaning back in his chair. "Just remember that I'm a retired pirate and I'm not going on any more crazy adventures with ye and yer crew." He glanced over at Angela. "Of course, if it involves the lass, I just might change my mind."

He winked at her, causing her to glance away in embarrassment. Her gaze settled on Jack, who didn't seem happy for some reason. As she looked at him, Jack's gaze fell on her, and he suddenly smirked at her before addressing his friend.

"Well, mate," Jack said, waving his hands around. "I just came to collect the coin or two of the Blue Heron that ye have. Ye see, the lass and I are going on a little treasure hunt, and we need the two coins in order to know that we're on the right track."

Richard's eyebrows rose. "Really, now?" he asked. "And what would I get if I were to help ye, Jack?"

"I'll give ye a piece of the Heron's treasure, of course," Jack said, as though it were obvious. "A small bit, of course, and return the two coins to ye. How does five percent sound?" Richard frowned. "Keep in mind, mate, that the treasure of the Heron is very large, and five percent is still a large amount of gold," Jack said, pointing at his friend with his right index finger.

Richard nodded. "Done," he said, holding his hand out and shaking Jack's. "I'll go fetch the coins."
Five minutes later, Jack was holding the coins, but as they were turning to leave, they were stopped by Richard standing in the doorway.

"Jack, I was hoping that ye and Ms. Sharp would stay and have dinner with me this evening," he said, glancing at her. "After all, it's hard to find a decent meal in Tortuga, since most of the eating houses are taverns, and the food isn't very good."

Jack shook his head. "No worries, mate," he said, an odd, hidden emotion in his voice. "I've got the perfect place to take this lovely lass of mine. Besides, I know that ye cook yer own food, and that it's nothing to brag about!" The two men laughed before Richard waved the two of them off, closing the door after they were outside.

Angela looked over at the pirate captain. "Jack, why didn't we stay there for dinner?" she asked. "He seemed like a nice man."

Jack shook his head. "Oh, he's nice, luv, but only when he's sober," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist once they were on the main street again, trying to keep the drunks away. "After dinner and a few drinks, he would have had ye in his room and in his bed." He chuckled at her expression. "Richard was once a pirate, luv, and ye shouldn't forget that. He was, and still is, quite the ladies-man."

Angela nodded as the two of them made their way down the street. "So where exactly are we going, Jack?" she asked. Her stomach rumbled, and she heard Jack chuckle.

"No worries, luv, I know an inn that serves good food and has good, clean beds," Jack said, leading her down a side street, away from the drunks and prostitutes. "Let's go, I'm starving."

The two of them walked for quite some time, slowly making their way into the more secluded outskirts of town. As they walked, Jack told Angela about Tortuga. While the center of town housed the whorehouses, taverns, bars, and more seedy inns, which were frequented by the more unpleasant drunks and such, the edges of town were different. The outskirts held the better, more expensive inns, brothels, and eating houses, and were only visited by the wealthier pirates, rogue merchants, and rum-runners that preferred quality in their food, drinks, and 'professional nightly company.'

"But Jack, why would you take me here?" Angela asked, looking up at him. "If it's so expensive, why don't we just eat and sleep on the Pearl?"

Jack smiled down at her, an odd gleam in his eyes. "I thought that a few nights on land would be good for ye, that's all," he said, his grip on her waist tightening. "And the food on the Pearl needs to be restocked, which is what Gibbs and Annamaria are doing right now, so there really isn't anything to eat on the Pearl."

Angela simply nodded as Jack led her into the Golden Flower Inn. Amazingly, this was simply an inn and eating house. Apparently, if one wanted 'company' for the night, they went to places that exclusively catered that sort of thing. Jack wanted to have two rooms, but Angela told him the price was too expensive, so he ordered one room, making sure that there was a large bed in it. Afterwards, the two of them ate a wonderful meal of fresh, roasted beef, fried potatoes, vegetables and wine. It was only after they were finished that Angela noticed that Jack hadn't had any rum the entire day!

"Jack, don't you want a drink or something?" she asked. "You haven't had any rum all day."

Jack shook his head, smiling. "I'll get some before I go up for the night, luv, don't worry," he said. Sure enough, after they had finished their meal, Jack went to the bar to begin his drinking as Angela started up towards their room.

The room was a good size, clean and plainly decorated. A large, elegantly carved mahogany bed covered in blue sheets was in the center, and there were two stands on either side of the bed, each holding a lit oil lamp. There was also a window above the bed, and a small trunk at the foot of the bed; that was it. As she looked around the room, Angela began to panic as she realized that there was one problem: she had nothing to sleep in! As she approached the bed, she saw something white lying on one side of the bed.

It was a nightgown, and a note that stated that it was hers to keep, as Jack had already paid for it along with the room! Angela smiled at Jack's thoughtfulness as she quickly changed into it, jumping into bed and blowing out a lamp, leaving the side on her right open for Jack. Sighing in contentment, she quickly fell into a deep sleep, leaving a lamp lit for Jack.
Jack's POV:

After more than four bottles of rum, Jack felt that he'd had enough for tonight, and made his way upstairs, a half-full bottle of rum in his hand. He had spent the past two hours going over his feelings for the dark- haired, violet-eyed woman upstairs, and couldn't figure them out. Why had he felt so upset over Richard flirting with her and inviting them to dinner? The two men had been friends for over fifteen years, and Jack had never before objected to Richard bedding a woman that they were both interested in. If it hadn't bothered him before, why did it bother him now? True, Angela was a sweet and lovely young woman with an hourglass figure, lovely long black hair, and enchanting eyes, but that didn't mean that he was in love with her! Did it?

The thought hit him like a load of bricks as soon as he was outside the door to their shared room.

"Bloody hell!" he exclaimed, his hand on the doorknob. "No, no, no, it couldn't be! Pirates don't fall in love! It's just an attraction, that's all."

Shaking his head, he entered the room. A lamp on one side of the bed was lit, and Angela was soundly asleep, for which he was thankful for; he really didn't want to talk to her right now. All Jack wanted to do was be alone with his thoughts and his half-full bottle of rum. He kicked off his boots, sat down on the vacant spot on the bed, facing Angela's sleeping figure, and crossed his legs, his rum bottle on his left knee. As he stared down at the woman who dominated his thoughts, he took frequent sips from his bottle, letting his thoughts wander.

'She really was an unusual woman,' he thought, sipping his rum as he looked down at her sleeping figure, which had her face turned towards him. 'I mean, how many people have magical powers and purple eyes? Seriously, though, she's a sweet lass, always caring for and helping others. The Pearl and the crew should count themselves lucky for having such a wonderful, caring person onboard!'

With this final thought, Jack downed the last drop of rum from the bottle, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. As he pulled the cloth away from his mouth, his eyes caught on the violet dress that was lying on top of the trunk at the foot of the bed.

'She'll need a new gown soon,' he thought, frowning. 'There's no way my lass is wearing the same dress twice in a row!' He blinked in surprise at the thought. Was that right? Yes, that was right. Angela was his lass, and there was no way he was going to let anyone else have her!

Remembering that his bottle was empty, Jack got up from the bed and placed the empty bottle on the nightstand. He then began undressing before he remembered that Angela was nervous about him wearing nothing to bed. Since he detested sleeping in too many layers of cloth, Jack opted to leave his pants on, but take his shirt off. The room was getting a bit stuffy, anyway, and he didn't feel like waking up in a pool of sweat. Pulling off his coat, shirt, weapons belt, and hat, Jack stacked them and put them on the trunk at the foot of the bed. He then got onto the bed and opened the window, letting the cool night air into the room.

As he snuggled beneath the sheets, his arm found its way around Angela's waist, pulling her closer to him. The pirate captain fell into sleep, smiling faintly as Angela unconsciously snuggled up closer to his body.
AN: Another school year is over! I hope that everyone had a good finals week, and that you all passed. Since my summer vacation is less than two weeks long, I'll try to update quickly and finish the story in that amount of time. This might or might not be my last story...it all depends on how things work out, because after this summer, I'll be a college graduate and have to start looking for work, so savor these chapters while you can!