Slowly dawn crept along the horizon and the city came awake. Brie contemplated moving the man when he let out a groan and rolled onto his back, his eyes squinting in the morning light.

"Good! You're awake. Listen man, I only want to ask you a few questions. Last night you mention-," Brie started cheerfully.

"Shh," The man hissed. "Not so loud."

"Sorry," Brie said in a quieter voice. "I just want to kno-,"

"Still too loud!"

"Is this better?" She questioned in a whisper.

"No," He whispered back.

"What do you know about Ja-,"

"Shut your bloody trap and go away."

Brie sighed. The information was going to be a lot harder to extract than she'd thought but it was the only lead she'd had in weeks and she was desperate for information. After a few moments of silence Brie stood slowly, dusting off her breeches and grabbed one of his arms to help him up as he struggled to his feet.

"What are you doing?" he asked gruffly.

"Helping you get sober because you look as though you were dragged through manure," Brie stated matter-of-factly as she lead him into the closest inn to get him a room.

Brie let the man sit in a chair as she talked to the innkeeper. She arranged for hot water to be sent up to the room as she forced him to eat a bit of warm porridge and drink a cup of tea.

"I don't drink tea," he protested, "It's too...feminine, savvy?"

Brie gave a sardonic smile, "You? Too feminine? Nonsense." Even she was more masculine than he was. She mentally readjusted her classification of him from a quirky drunk to being just plain quirky.

After the man had woken enough to climb the stairs with only a little help from Brie, they went into the room, where he promptly collapsed onto the bed.

"Not yet," Brie sighed, "You still smell like stale rum and vomit."

When he did not move she drew a bucket of water from the tub that sat steaming and threw it onto him.

"Damn it boy! Leave me alone!" he spluttered. He quickly rose to his feet and reached for the sword at his side. With a move like lightning, Brie tripped him and pushed him into the tub. He let out a yelp as he hit the scalding water and looked down in astonishment at his now-drenched self. His mouth opened and closed a few times

"Now you'll be clean," Brie smiled in spite of herself.

"But my clothes are wet."

"True, but clean."

Brie pushed the screen in front of the man to shield him from view and threw over a bar of soap. Without her having to say anything, he undressed. Brie smiled. This man was a quick learner. The smile faded as he threw his dirty sopping wet clothes deliberately over the screen one by one, each article of clothing coming dangerously close to her head.

Dodging the clothes, she gathered them up and took them down to the innkeeper to be cleaned. Roughly describing the man's height and breadth, she requested a pair of clean clothes be brought to the room. Making her way upstairs, she sat outside the door to wait. A song wafted through the thin walls of the inn. One about pirates' lives interspersed with yo-ho-ing. Brie smiled a little to hear the man's out of tune voice. The clean clothes arrived just as the splashing from inside the room subsided. She knocked and opened the door.

"What've you done with my clothes?" the man said annoyed, his head peeping around the screen.

"They're being cleaned, wear these for now," she said as she passed the bundle of clothing back to him.

Grumbling, the man took the clothes. Brie heard the soft rustle of cloth.

"They're a bit big, aren't they?" he said emerging from behind the screen. Indeed they were slightly baggy, but they kept him fully clad. She shrugged and sat on the bed.

"They'll do," she said.

"What is all this for exactly mate?" he asked.

"You've got some information that I'm interested in," Brie replied evenly.

"Information is it? Just what is it that you wanted to know, laddie-boy, or weren't you planning on telling me?"

"Any information you have concerning the Black Pearl," she said, not rising to his bait.

"Ah, the Black Pearl then. Yes, I do know something about the Pearl. Why exactly were you wanting this information, may I enquire?" His voice was guarded, wary now.

"That is my own business. Now if you'll oblige me, what do you know about the Black Pearl."

"All in good time my young friend, all in good time. Now, I'll bet you didn't know that the man you so very kindly 'rescued'," he gestured to himself, "Is the greatest sailor in the Caribbean. You see..." And with that, once again before Brie could interrupt, he launched off into another meaningless monologue on the slight nuances that distinguish a good sailor from a great one. She let out a resigned sigh. This man, it seemed, was far too in love with the sound of his own voice. In spite of her desire to learn more of what this man could tell her about the Pearl, she found herself captivated by his manner of speaking and noted his uncanny ability to make even the dullest subjects appear fascinating.

By the end of this stranger's conversation with himself, Brie had the smile of a content child listening to a storyteller's tale.

"That's incredible. You must be a great sailor indeed," Brie said over exaggerating slightly, playing to his ego.

"My dear boy, I did warn you, I am the best. You should pay close attention mate. You could learn a great many things from me," he replied languidly.

"I doubt it. I've had an excellent education."

"Ah, but who was your instructor? Surely not one as great as I?"

"From one who was a friend first and a pirate only after that. Unless I'm much mistaken, you are a pirate yourself. I have yet to judge, however, whether you are a friend or not. As of now, the only thing I can trust to come out of a scallywag like you, sir, is untrustworthy advice not worth taking."

"Your education does appear to be quite excellent," he said approvingly. "It is always best to be cautious. Truly, your intellect is dizzying."

"The world only spins if you keep dancing with me," she quipped.

"I see no one dancing mate."

"Then you are blind, friend, for we have been circling each other like wolves all day,"

He stared at her for a moment before breaking into a grin. "Very good lad," he chuckled, "What's your name then?" he asked with a smile that made his features quite attractive.

"Brian Dagger," Brie replied, "and yours?" she asked, returning his smile. He seemed to be a good fellow and a worthy ally.

The man stood proud and took off his hat, "The daring, dashing, exceptionally brilliant, Captain Jack Sparrow, at your service," he placed his hat over his breast and bowed low.

Brie's heart sunk, "You're Jack Sparrow?!" she cried in consternation, "Oh no! That's awful!"

He looked surprised and a little indignant, "And what's wrong with that mate?"

"Oh everything" Brie said dismayed. "I have to go" and she fled through the door leaving the man—Jack—standing in the middle of the room completely bewildered.

Brie's heart was pounding as she slowed to a stop a few blocks away from the inn. Her thoughts raced back and forth, always returning to the inescapable fact that she had just befriended the man she had disliked since she was twelve years of age. Jack Sparrow didn't deserve the Black Pearl—that much was apparent. Under normal circumstances he would have had to defeat Ari for the ship to rightfully be his. But he had simply waited until Ari and her crew were hanged and then taken the ship. But Brie couldn't kill him now that she had met him. Damn it, she liked the man.

Brie leaned against a building, slid to the ground and began to rework the finer details of her plan.