Call me butter, cause I'm on a roll with this story! This chapter is a little longer than usual. Which will hopefully make up for it being weeks past due. I have two Reviews! I am more excited about this than is healthy I'm sure, but it makes me feel better that people have read my story.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.... except Allison, but she has a mind of her own....

She finished with the night's work and headed back to her room. She took a pillow case off the bed and started to put her few belongings into it. There was a time when it would have taken me hours to pack all of my possessions. That was years ago. Before the storm. She unconsciously raised her hand to rest upon the locket that rested around her neck. It had been given to her by her mother before she died. Before the storm. She looked sadly at her few personal items. Several plain dresses, mostly gray or brown with one exception. There was a deep green dress slightly more fancy than the others. The one nice piece of clothing I own. She bitterly threw it into the bag.

She jumped in surprise and put the bag behind her on the floor as the door opened.

"Good evening Allison." Catherine called cheerfully to her. "I made a lot in tips tonight. I've almost saved enough to pay Tirk off. Then I can leave this madhouse." Catherine rambled on. Allison was lost in her own thoughts. He sure has a good scheme set up. Rescuing girls with no family and no money, giving them a place to live and a job. Then charging them rent, and not paying enough a month to quite cover the rent plus other expenses. He pretty much ensured that he would always have people to work in his tavern. Girls had to work for years to pay him off, as Catherine had, scrimping and saving. Unless they found a way to augment their income....

"Allison, are you all right? You look ill or something." When Allison did not respond she put her hand on Allison's shoulder. Allison gasped and took a step back, stepping on her back in the process, and falling right on her bottom. Catherine put her hand on her mouth to try to stifle the giggles that were threatening to overwhelm her.

"Are you all right?" She managed to gasp out.

"I'm fine thank you." Allison replied icily from the floor. She hadn't bothered trying to get up.

"What did you trip on?" Catherine asked Allison as she helped her get back on her feet.

"Nothing." Allison replied hastily and tried unsuccessfully to push her bag under her bed without the other woman noticing. Catherine swooped down and snatched the bag, which was halfway under the bed.

"Let's see what we have here." She opened the bag and her eyes widened. "You aren't leaving are you?" She looked carefully at Allison. "You are at least two months from paying off your debts." Allison cursed Catherine and her nosy ways. She had made it her personal mission to know how far along everyone was, and took pride in being the closest to reaching her goal.

"I've gotten some pretty big tips the past couple nights, and I just haven't recorded them." Allison would not meet Catherine's eyes. She didn't like lying to people. Especially someone like Catherine who had been there for her since she got there. Catherine however did not seem to notice that she had been lied to and took the answer in stride.

"Good for you!" Catherine exclaimed suddenly and launched herself at Allison, pulling her into a gigantic bear hug. Allison stood still for a moment stunned by the sudden motion, then returned the hug.

"Are you leaving tonight?" Catherine asked with a hint of sadness in her eyes. Allison sighed. She had been intending to pay Tirk, and sneak out in the night to charter her passage to Port Royal. There was always a ship waiting to carry people out of Tortuga. Ships left at all hours of the day.

"Of course not, I would never leave without saying goodbye." Another lie. She thought. They were coming more easily, and more frequently to her.

Jack moaned and grabbed his head, wincing at the pain that lashed through him at the movement. Too much rum. He sighed and very slowly raised his head from the table, noticing that his companions were still at the table, also passed out. All save one.

"Good morning Jack." Jack grunted in reply. Will looked at Jack and said, "You look terrible. Too much rum?" Jack remembered his earlier thought and smiled. It always seemed like too much rum in the morning.

"No such thing." He lightly replied. Letting the absence of his title slip. Just this once. "We should probably get these blokes onto the ship so we can sail out today." He continued. He stood up and stretched, the long painful stretch of someone who has spent all night in a chair with their head on the table. As he was stretching he noticed that something didn't fell right. My pants feel too light. He shook his head. What an odd thought. He put his hands on his waist though, just to check, and noticed that something was indeed missing. He looked down at the ground and around the table. Will looked up from trying to rouse the rest of the crew and noticed Jack's frantic searching.

"What are you looking for?" He asked amusement showing plainly in his voice.

"My coin pouch is missing." Will looked closely at Jack's face. His eyebrows were knit together, and he was deep in thought. Will was concerned. Jack only spoke proper English when he was very upset or angry. He was obviously trying to remember the events of last night.

"Will, do you remember that bar maid that served us last night?" Jack broke Will out of his reverie with the question.

"The one that was staring at you?"

"Yah. That one...." Again Will looked suspiciously at Jack.

"Why?" He asked confusion all over his face.

"She bumped into me last night, and I could have sworn I felt a tug on my sash, but I didn't think nothin' of it at the time. She musta cut the strings." He cursed loudly. "C'mon Will. We've gotta find that woman before she gets too far."