I'm not entirely sure if this chappie is okay, but my "brilliant" mate (duskjane, check out her stories if ya like CSI) won't stop bugging me to post it, so here it is. If you spot anything very wrong with it, please let me know. Also, due to wishful thinking one night: Nathaniel, Nina, her mates and this story is MINE, so Disney, keep yer hands off!

Again, thanks to all my reviewers: Dusk Jane (as usual), Pisces Rising, dee, Nicoletta Sparrow, Jesse and anyone I haven't already thanked.

Chapter 6

Jack met Nina in the bar where the crew had previously been found.

"The rum any good in 'ere?"

"It's alright." Nina replied taking a sip of hers.

Jack got himself a tankard and sat down opposite Nina.

"They've no idea, do they?"

"What on earth do you mean by that, Jack?"

"That yer a con artist and thief who steals from ol' ladies and people who don't know no better." He said blatantly.

"I think Will has an idea." Then she added, "Oi. I don't steal from old ladies."

"Course yer do. They're the easiest."

"Alright, you have me there. So what? Your record isn't exactly clean."

"Ah, but I'm a good man, me."

"Since when?" Nina asked incredulously but with a hint of playfulness.

"Since I rescued the Guvners daugh'er and 'elped defeat a ship full o' undead pirates, luv."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. It's the latest story to go 'round the Caribbean of yer exploits."

"It's true, y'know."

"I believe you, I've heard it from Jame...Norrington lotsa times. Though he tended to make you out as one of the bad guys."

"He would though, wouldn't 'e. It's people like 'im who make it 'ard for me to make a livin'."

"Because piracy is a recognised honest occupation." Nina mocked.

"O' course! I knew you'd understand."

Nina just shook her head and glanced around. She spotted Bernard chatting up the waitress with the great assets. He wasn't getting very far. Good luck, she thought.

"Hey, you're not gonna ruin it for me, are ya?" Nina asked in all seriousness.

"O' course not! Y'know me better than that."

"Mm." Nina agreed half-heartedly.

"Yer 'aven't been squeezin' money outta the soon to be Turners, though 'ave ya?"

"No, no. Their courtesy hasn't extended that far yet."

"Well, yer better not, or else I'll be 'aving a word wit' you."

"And what word will that be?"

"Don't." Jack stated.

"Nothing more exciting? How about ultimatum, that's a good 'un."

"I mean it." Jack warned.

Nina looked him in the eye, "Alright Jack."

They both drank from their tankards. Jack liked Nina fine, and didn't mind her conning the ones who deserved conning but he didn't want decent people like Will and Elizabeth being cheated. Especially when he would be caught up in the middle of it all. It wasn't just that though, despite not knowing the two for that long, what they had learnt of each other was sufficient for Jack to consider them friends. They had in any case earned his trust and that was good enough in his books.

Nina appreciated Jack enough to respect his wishes most of the time and decided not to swindle Will and Elizabeth. After all, he was a fine pirate and despite her mockery she did know he was a good man. At least at times anyway. No, she wouldn't cheat Will and Elizabeth. Not while Jack was around anyhow, there was something better she could go after.

A solemn silence hung over the two of them while they thought.

"How'd this get so serious all of a sudden?" Nina asked, the silence unnerving her.

"Maybe you've been spendin' a lil too much time wit' t'Commodore," Jack taunted, "'E's not the most affable of men."

"That's not true." Nina defended as a smirk grew on Jack's face, "I'm surprised you know the word affable." She added as an afterthought.

"Aye, man o' surprises, me. I know lotsa things that you wouldn't expect."

"Care to share, perhaps?"

"Ah, now, if I go tellin' everybody everythin' I know, it's not gonna be very good now, is it?"

"It's only me." Nina pleaded.

"Well...I can't be tellin' ya much but I 'appened to come across a lovely bit o' information concernin' one o' yer ol' friends."

"Oh yeah? Who?"

"Remember Cathy Fitzgerald?"

"Ugh. She wasn't exactly a friend."

"I'm still checkin' up on things but I may need you to re-start your friendship wit' 'er."

"And what would I be getting outta this?"

"Like I said, I'm still checkin' up on things."

Nina did not want to be re-acquainted with Cathy Fitzgerald. She was a bastard to say the least and a ruthless one at that. Not bloodthirsty, but wouldn't object to hurting someone if they got in her way, and they often did. She had a wild temper too, and her mood swings were unpredictable. One minute you could be joking around with her, and then the next thing you know she'd have you by your throat demanding your apology.

Nina had first met Cathy at Southampton when she was looking for a ship away from England. She found herself short on cash and Cathy had magically appeared ready to loan her some, for a price. Nina, having not heard of her reputation willingly took the money. When it came to repaying the first instalment, Nina came up short.

"You're new 'round these parts, ain't ya?" Cathy had said tucking her raven hair behind her ears before clasping her hands thoughtfully.

"Yeah, only me second time outta London even." Nina replied hoping that this would give her some extra credit.

"Ya know what? I like ya; I reckon you could go far, if ya pay me my money back. So I'm gonna be nice and let ya off. This time only keep in mind." The red-haired woman who Cathy was with looked surprised. Nina just kept quiet and let Cathy continue.

"Make sure you're up to date with t'next payment, and I think we'll be getting' along fine. Now, I got someone else ta see about some late payments."

Nina left Cathy's table promptly and went to the bar to get a drink.

"You shouldn't be doing deals with that Cathy," Warned the barman, "Not t'nicest of people, her."

"She's been nice to me so far." Nina replied as she looked back towards her. The barman was proved right though, because as Nina did so she saw Cathy pulling a man over the table by his hair, holding a dangerous looking dagger to his eye.

"I've already had to deal with one missed payment," Cathy had hissed, "and me patience is wearin' thin. Ya pay up soon otherwise t'next time ya won't even see me coming."

Nina did her best thieving and conning in the following two weeks and managed to pay back the loan in full. After that Nina saw very little of Cathy and was glad. It was a few years before she encountered her again in France, and once more in Spain. Again they were about as pleasant as the first time.

The next time Nina had met Cathy it was on a small island in the Caribbean when Nina had first started out there. They were staying in the same bar and Nina didn't know anyone else, so she reluctantly talked with her. The same red-haired woman was still with her, and Nina later found out that they were sisters. She didn't believe this at first and mentioned it to Cathy. She found herself with a knife at her neck, and decided not to say any more on the matter.

That was just three years ago, and Nina hadn't seen Cathy since. Nina was quiet while she remembered this and took a large drink of her rum.

"Do y'know what they expect me to wear fer their weddin'?" Jack asked, shifting the subject to something more light.

"What is it?" Nina said, knowing she was going to enjoy this.

"'Ideous. That's what it is." Nina chuckled, "And," Jack stressed, "They want me to be perfectly clean, not a speck o' dirt they said."

"No?! That's outrageous, Jack."

"'Ey, no teasin'. I don't object to a wash every now and again, but to be perfectly clean is a bit too much."

"Certainly, I agree totally. It's only the most important day of their lives, and to ask you to be clean is just over the top."

"I thought I said no teasin'."

Nina grinned, "I can't help it, you're just so easy to get at."

"Yeah, yeah. Pick on the ruggedly 'andsome pirate."

"'Andsome? Don't you mean 'handsome'?"

"I knew yer'd think so," Nina rolled her eyes, "'Andsome, 'andsome, wha's the difference?"

"You just said 'andsome twice!" Nina pointed out.

"Exactly! What's the difference?!"

"Elocution matters a lot when trying to get people to see things your way."

"Oh, I see. Like it's workin' now, aye?"

Nina just sighed exasperated. She obviously was going to get nowhere trying to improve upon Jack's pronunciation.

"Are your crew at my place right now?" Nina asked.

"Either that or out drinkin', luv."

"In that case, I'm going to be getting back. You coming?"

Jack saw the waitress. "I think I'll hang 'round 'ere a bit longer, if that's alrigh' wit' yer."

Nina followed Jacks gaze towards the waitress. She raised an eyebrow when she saw Bernard still trying it out and actually seemed to be getting somewhere, even if it wasn't very far.

"Good luck." Nina said as she threw some coins onto the table and left.

Jack didn't come home that night so Nina assumed he was more successful than Bernard was. Jack always did manage to get the women he wanted.

Nina remembered the first time she had met Jack. It wasn't long before their sibling's wedding and Jack had wanted to make sure that his little sister wasn't marrying anyone too irresponsible. Nina smiled at the thought of this; he was as roguish then as he was now. Nina liked him but she wasn't sure about him, there was something that just didn't fit. Besides he seemed too obsessed with his ship and getting it back; it wasn't right that someone could be so fixated with a load of wood and canvas. It was about freedom, Jack had explained to her, but if that was the reason why didn't he just get another ship? He did make good company though and always seemed to have a good supply of drink with him.

Especially on the night before the wedding. In her defence, he did actually get her drunk, but not up to the point where she didn't know what she was doing. There wasn't much that could be done now and Nina didn't regret it. And she certainly wasn't jealous.

Besides, Jack was just a drunken screw one night; she had Norrington to think about at the moment. She had no idea what to do about that situation. It was definitely one she had always managed to avoid in the past. Maybe if she just forgot about it, it would go away. She decided this was what she was going to do. Or try to at any rate.

However with the upcoming wedding, it was going to prove difficult. Christ, she thought, what was she going to wear?