The pirates had made it through the first part of their plan, arriving in Port Royal without being thrown in jail. The only problem with that being that Jack had now lost track of Will when they had escaped from the dock master to keep from having to pay the docking charge. Jack shook the small purse in his hand, hearing the coins jingle merrily. From the sound of it, there was a goodly amount in there, and he quite happily tucked it in his sash and continued on his way.

More than a few of the Port Royal citizens turned his way as he walked along the dirt road next to the docks. He did stick out of the crowd of finely dressed people, being as scruffy as he was, but he took no notice of them. Jack had been in more than enough ports to learn to ignore the higher class unless there was something to be stolen from them. Like at this moment, he was looking for a rather large object that could be stolen from the town that would benefit him. A ship that Will and himself could use to get away from the island once they'd stolen the necklace and head back to Tortuga.

A ship did catch his eye. It was docked away from the commotion of the public dock and seemed to be guarded by two less than adept soldiers. He stared at it for a moment, taking in the details. He believed the ship to be a sloop, which was just what he was looking for. It would be fast and the two men could maneuver it enough to get them into the dock at Tortuga to pick up a full crew. It would do just fine for Jack's purposes and he decided that he ought to have a look at it, to learn the feel of it.

The sound of his boots against the dock drew the two navy men from their conversation and they quickly got to their feet, scrambling for him. Jack watched them with an amused expression on his face thinking that if this were the best the Navy had to guard a ship like this, it would be quite easy to steal out from under their noses.

"This dock is off limit to civilians." The portly soldier said, pointing his gun in Jack's direction. His partner did the same, shifting from foot to foot nervously. Jack wondered if either man had seen any kind of battle from the way they acted. Barely on alert and they seemed slightly nervous for only being put on guard over a ship. This was hardly going to be a challenge for him to observe the ship and get out of there again.

"My deepest apologies." Jack muttered, clapping his hands together and nodding his head slightly. "I just came in on a ship and seemed to have lost my brother. While I was looking for him, I seemed to have stumbled upon this great ship here and thought I might have a look." He peered at them both, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Of all the ships in this bay, how come there's only a guard on this one?" He asked them, looking between the two men. The slighter guard looked towards the man beside him, unsure how to answer. In response, the man widened his eyes and gave him a discrete nudge in the ribs.

"Someone has to make sure civilians don't wander down here. This ship here is the pride of the Royal Navy, faster than any ship out there." He said, lifting his chin slightly with an air of pride about him as he spoke. Jack found the whole effect quite comical and had to wait a moment before responding for fear of laughing at the man.

"I've heard of a ship that might give this one here a run." He paused a moment, making sure he had the attention of both men and raised a finger. "The Black Pearl." The name was met with laughter from one of them, causing Jack to raise an eyebrow.

"The Black Pearl? She's a myth and nothing more." The solider laughed again, wiping at his eyes.

"But I have seen a ship with black sails." The other man said once the first had calmed himself down. His partner looked over at him and frowned. "It's a real ship."

"I think you've been sleeping during your shifts again." He said, shaking his head. "It's not a real ship."

"Yes it is."

"You've seen this ship?"

"Yes I have."

"You've seen a ship that's reported to be captained by a man evil enough to be thrown from hell and a crew of the dned?" The portly soldier queried, staring at his friend with an unblinking gaze. The man had to wait a moment before responding with a smile.

"No."

"You liar. You just said you did!"

"No I didn't. I said I saw a ship with black sails." What was once amusing was now incredibly annoying, so Jack took the opportunity to slip past them and walk down the dock further until he came to the plank leading up onto the deck of the ship. He glanced over his shoulder to see the two still arguing and headed up onto the deck. His chosen path took him up onto the quarterdeck and over to the wheel. One hand slid slowly over the polished wood, resurrecting memories of the night's spent at the wheel of the Pearl. Although he'd never admit it to anyone, he missed that ship as he would miss a woman that he truly loved. If a day such as that ever came.

"Hey! You don't have permission to be aboard there." Jack made a disgusted sound deep in his throat and looked up to see the two standing on the deck below, guns pointed up at him. He watched them for a moment, making them both shift nervously again and wonder why he was looking at them in such a way. "Civilians aren't allowed."

"Well, then it's all good because I'm a sailor, mate. Not a civilian." He flashed them a smile, sun catching the metal on his teeth and reflecting.

"What's your name?" The portly soldier asked and added almost as an afterthought, "And your purpose? No lies." He demanded. The man beside him nodded.

"No lies." He echoed, continuing to point his gun at Jack. Reluctantly, Jack let go of the wheel and took a step down towards them.

"Smith, or Smithy if you like." He waved to the ship. "And it is my intention to commandeer this lovely ship, pick up a crew in Tortuga, raid, pillage, plunder and otherwise pilfer my weasely black guts out, and all the while leaving the Navy in the dust since I have their fastest ship." His explanation had caught them both off guard. They stared at him in silence for a moment and he could almost see the strained wheels turning in their brains as they tried to digest what he'd just said.

"He said no lies!"

"He might be telling the truth." Jack groaned and slapped his forehead. Of all the men stuck guarding this ship, he had to meet up with two of the most inept. Holding up his hands, he quieted them both.

"Look, gentlemen, I believe I can clear up this misunderstanding..."

--------------------

Once he had gotten to a safe distance from the dock, Will ducked into alleyway to dry off. He kicked off his shoes and then pulled off his stockings, sticking them in the toes of the shoes. It felt good to get the cloying fabric off his feet and he wiggled his toes in the dust. The next thing he needed to do was to pull the ribbon from his hair and retie it back. The rest of his clothes were dryer than they had been, albeit a little damp, but he couldn't get undressed here or risk being thrown in jail for public exposure.

The sound of violins playing caught his attention. He glanced out onto the street once more for Jack, but didn't see the pirate anywhere. A few moments to investigate the music couldn't hurt any. Picking up his shoes, he padded down the alleyway onto the next street over and found himself looking at the front of the fort. The door was wide open, inviting him in to see what treasures the place held. Cautiously he entered and followed the long walk to another entryway.

Turning the corner, he found himself looking at what he believed to be a party or ceremony of some sort. Over in the corner were men playing the instruments he had heard earlier. Servants wandered the crowds with trays of food and drink while the high class of Port Royal mingled with their own kind.

Will turned to head back out, but the smell of the food caught his attention. His stomach gave a light rumble, protesting the lack of food from the past few days. He rubbed it, wondering if it would be wise to venture into the place. He wouldn't blend in well, but it was more likely they would mistake him for a man of the working class instead of a pirate. Finally he made up his mind and ventured into the courtyard.

More than a few people shot looks his way and turned back to whisper to their fellow partygoers. "I swear they let more and more riff raff in. Soon they'll think themselves equals." There was a flurry of light laughter and he felt the color on his cheeks deepen. Biting back a response, he snatched a glass from the tray of a passing servant and took a drink. The wine was quite good and if he was to bet, quite expensive as well.

He raised the glass to take another drink when someone bumped into him from behind. A bit of the wine spilled down the front of his shirt and vest. There was another round of laughter from the same group and he shot them a withering look before turning around to see just who it was that had run into him.

It was a fair-haired young woman, waving herself with a fan. "Dreadfully sorry." She said, the words almost coming out like pants. "I can be a bit of a clumsy one sometimes." Will might've had something to say, but it was lost on his tongue. She was unlike any woman he had ever seen before. He wasn't quite sure what it was about her that struck him so. Her blond hair was pulled back from her face except for a few stray strands that lay in curls around her face. Eyes that reminded him of dark chocolate gazed up at him with an amused sparkle.

"It's quite alright." He managed finally, smiling back at her. "Just a bit of wine won't do damage to a shirt like this. See, it's already dry." She nodded and leaned against the wall, waving herself more.

"I haven't seen you around before." She said after giving him a look over, fan faltering slightly as she caught that he wasn't wearing any shoes. "Are you new?"

Will's voice caught yet again, a moment passing before he responded. "No, I'm just visiting my brother. I'm actually a blacksmith from England." He told her. "My name is William Turner." He bowed slightly to her in respect.

"Well, William, it's nice to meet you. Or bump into you as it were." She didn't curtsey in return, just continued fanning herself and Will began to wonder if something was wrong with her. "My name is Elizabeth Swann. My father is governor here."

"Oh?" Will winced mentally. Of course of all the people he would meet, it would be the governor's daughter. "Well, from what I've seen in the time I've been here, he does quite a nice job." He smiled at her. She returned his smile.

"I don't mean to pry, Miss Swann, but you don't look well. Perhaps you should sit down?" Will said, pointing towards the steps. In all truth she looked as if she might fall over at any moment.

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, I just need to get out of this stuffy place and take a walk to clear my head." She said. "But thank you for your concern." She pushed herself away from the wall and headed towards the entranceway. Will was about to follow her, offer her an arm to lean on, when the commodore of the British Navy intercepted her.

The young man Elizabeth had just been talking to intrigued her. He was quite handsome and polite, although she found him strange for not wearing any shoes. There was something else about him that she liked as well, something roguish. She was hoping that he would follow her and offer to accompany her on her walk. Of course, her father and Commodore Norrington would throw a fit if they saw her walking around with one such as the lowly blacksmith, but she had stopped caring about status and such a long time ago. Port Royal had become quite boring and she wanted something to make her life more interesting.

Her path was blocked by none other than Norrington, a strange look on his face. "Elizabeth, may we speak a moment?" Elizabeth nodded reluctantly, knowing that her fresh air would have to wait now. She allowed him to take her arm and lead her to a corner of the courtyard with less people in it. A part of her worried about what they would have to talk about. He wouldn't be asking her now, would he?

He took her hands in his, looking down at them. "Elizabeth, today I have achieved something great in life and it has given me new perspective. I may have achieved this, but I have yet to ask the woman I wish to be my wife if she would marry me." He told her. "I've watched you grow up and you've become a fine young woman."

Elizabeth's lungs were burning from the dnable corset cinched so tightly around her waist. She could barely draw in enough oxygen to keep herself conscious and now there was a ringing in her ears. But she had still managed to catch what he was saying, or implying as it were. Black spots danced in front of her eyes and she felt very dizzy, trying to will her arms to grasp out for something to steady herself. "I can't breathe."

"I know, I'm having a hard time of this myself..." Norrington was cut off as Elizabeth fell forward into his arms and knocked him backwards onto the floor. "Elizabeth? Elizabeth!" His cries attracted the attention of most of the party, including Will's. Norrington laid her out on the floor, putting a hand just beneath her nose. "She's not breathing!" He called out.

"Move!" Will pushed his way through the crowd until he made his way to where Norrington is. He knelt beside the other man. "Is she wearing a corset?"

"What?" Norrington glared at him. "Why would you ask a question at a time such as this?"

"Just answer me!"

"Yes!" Governor Swann had pushed his way to the head of the crowd as well. "It was part of the dress that I gave her." His eyes went to his daughter, fearing for her life.

Will pulled the knife from its sheath tucked in the back of his waistband and reached for the front of Elizabeth's dress. His wrist was caught and jerked back by Norrington, who snatched the knife from his grasp.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" He asked angrily. "What could this help?"

"Trust me on this. She's not breathing because of the bloody corset. Take the knife and cut the lacing." He said gently, trying not to make the man any angrier than he already was. Norrington hesitated a moment, weighing in on his words. He reached for the front of Elizabeth's dress, moving in front of her to give her some privacy from the on looking crowd. His fingers shook, knowing what he was doing was entirely improper but if it saved Elizabeth's life, it would be well worth it.

He slid the knife down through the lacings and pulled it apart. Elizabeth suddenly came to life, coughing and gasping for air. There were sighs of relief in the crowd and Governor Swann immediately knelt down and covered his daughter with his jacket before taking her into his arms. Elizabeth sucked in deep breaths of air, holding tightly to the arm of her father's shirt.

Norrington stood up, pulling Will to his feet as well and pulling him away from the scene. For a moment, Will thought he was going to be arrested, but Norrington only handed the knife back to him. "Where did you learn that?" He asked, scrutinizing him. Will maintained an innocent expression.

"I've been traveling since I was young." He lied. "I've learned many things on my travels." He slid the knife back into its sheath. Norrington crossed his arms, staring at him. Will got the impression that he didn't quite believe him. The man was very intelligent, unlike most of his counterparts on the other islands with English colonies that he and Jack had been to. "I suppose I'll take this as my exit. Good day, commodore." Will said with a nod of respect. Norrington returned the nod, a look of deep thought on his face.

"Wait!" Will stopped as he heard Elizabeth's voice and saw her come running towards him, coat wrapped around her shoulders tightly. Her father followed behind her, a confused expression on his face. She caught up with him, a smile appearing on her face. "I'd like it if you and your brother joined us tonight. My father is having a masquerade ball and I'd like you to come." She glanced towards Norrington, noting the less than happy expression on his face. "Both of you have my utmost gratitude for what you've done. I know that you will be there, Commodore."

Will frowned slightly at what she was saying. Gibbs had told them that the ball was to take place the next night, not this night. Time had just been drastically shortened for the two pirates to refine their plan. More than ever, he needed to find Jack. "I will." He said, giving her a quick grin. "Thank you, Miss Swann. Governor Swann. Commodore..." He hadn't heard the man's name, so he quickly shut up and backed towards the entranceway.

"Elizabeth, are you sure this is wise? Inviting a man of his stature to the ball?" Norrington asked, watching him go. "I'm not quite sure of it yet, but there is something off about the boy." Elizabeth gave him a look of weary patience.

"He's nothing but a blacksmith, Commodore. I'm sure nothing will happen to ruin the night." She sighed, watching him go as well. She hoped he would make good on his word and come. There was so much she wanted to learn about him.

Governor Swann shook his head. "He is a strange lad indeed."

---------------

"So I shouted for them to stop, but they laughed and shot my dog anyway." Jack finished his story by sadly shaking his head. "So we left the port and came here on one of the merchant ships."

The two guards stared sadly at him. If he wasn't mistaken, the slighter man was actually crying. Jack smiled inwardly. He hadn't lost his touch or his silver tongue at that. Both men had easily taken to the lie he had been telling. "So that's my sad tale of how I ended up here in its entirety." He told them soberly.

"Such a sad story." The heavier guard said quietly. They were still sitting aboard the Interceptor, as Jack had learned it was called. He was sitting on the stairway up to the quarterdeck while Murtogg and Mullroy sat on the deck in front of him.

"Aye, sad it is." He glanced up as he heard the sound of bare feet against the dock. Will was running towards him, a look of urgency on his face. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got business to see to." He got up off the steps and headed down the plank to meet Will.

"That poor dog." Mullroy sniffed. "Never even had a chance."

"What's wrong?" Jack asked, grabbing Will by the sleeve and pulling him along.

"The ball is tonight, Jack. Not tomorrow. Gibbs told us wrong." He said quietly. Jack stopped, turning to look at him.

"We can work around that." Jack told him. "You have to be ready for these things to happen. We'll just have to step things up a bit." With that said, he pulled the purse from his pocket and emptied the coins into his palm. "That should be enough for us to find some nice clothes to blend in." He said. Will dug into his coat and produced two more coin purses, stolen from the partygoers back at the fort and placed them into Jack's palm. Jack smirked. "Good lad. Now all we need is to figure out a way in."

Will grinned in return. "I believe I've taken care of that."