Well, after a long sabbaticle, I'm back- with the story. Enojoy this chapter, folks; it's mainly from my own mind. From this point on, while the general plot of the movie stays unchanged, more and more original stuff is going to be happaning. Whee! I thank every single person who has read this, and the thanks get doubled to every single person who has reviewed this. Individual notes will be on the bottom!

(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)

Duo, deciding to go and check on the supplies that Commodore Norington had gifted them with, snagged Heero and dragged him down into the hold with him. Besides this giving more time alone with the all to sexy blue-eyed boy (which was enough reason in and of itself), Will was now sending some rather heated glares in Jack's direction, and he had no intention of being caught in the upcoming exchange.

"C'mon, we need to see what the ever-generous Commodore has given us!" he chortled.

Heero glanced at him, then back up at the deck.

"Don't worry, your partner won't be tossed overboard- Jack keeps his word." The smith gave him an odd look, but followed him down the ladder-steps without a word.

Once they were in the hold, Duo motioned to the crates lining the near side of the walls. "You check these, and I'll start a the other end. Meetcha in the middle!" Duo started to dart away, but was brought up short by a hand on his arm that felt like a metal vise.

"You didn't tell Will about the pirates," Heero stated.

"Nope- I don't think he would have believed us. If you hadn't seen the whole moonlight bit, would you have believed someone telling you about them?" Duo glanced down at the hand and tugged experimentally, testing the other's strength. He came to the conclusion that he'd have an easier time getting out of a steel band; the steel wouldn't react if it saw him picking up a blowtorch or similar tool.

"No," Heero conceded, frowning. "But why did you and Sparrow agree to take Will?"

"...I thought we got both of you onto this ship?" Duo drawled, looking pointedly around. It helped him pull his body's focus away from the hand still gripping his arm; his body was very interested in the amount of strength that the gorgeous smith was exhibiting.

"But it wasn't me or us you agreed to take- it was Will, specifically. Sparrow barely glanced at me, and didn't seem to care whether or not I had any specific reasons for going."

For several moments, there was no sound in the hold but the slap of waves on the side of the boat and the creaking of the timbers. "True," Duo agreed quietly. "Jack has his reasons. But please don't assume that I'm going to be a good little informant and tell you all- I won't betray a friend like that."

Heero's eyes flashed. "And I should let my own friend walk strait into whatever that pirate has planned, without even trying to find out what it is?"

He and Duo glared at each other for a moment, neither willing to give in

The tension was broken- or, better, changed- when a sudden pitch of the boat sent Duo tumbling strait into his opponent, knocking them both off their feet. They landed in a tangle of limbs farther down the aisle. Neither of them moved for a long moment, stunned as they were by both the fall the sudden feel of the other's body. Duo, who had been speculating on this topic, was rendered breathless by the inability of his imagination to equal the reality. Heero, who had been doing his best not to speculate on the same subject, was stunned by the sudden flood of sensations. The end result was that neither of them moved for a long moment. A very, very, very long moment.

Finally, Duo pushed away and sat up.

"What's Jack doing up there?" he muttered distractedly, trying to get his body and hormones to focus on a different topic. The damned perverts had one-track minds. "That was a large swerve; why'd he do it?"

Heero, who was using the moment to shove all his wayward thoughts back into order, didn't answer. He didn't have any idea what might make their new 'captain' swerve so suddenly, anyway.

Duo hadn't been looking for an answer, though, and after another moment, he stood up. "Shall we check the supplies?"

"...yeah."

They had just started to open the first box in the row when a thud echoed up from farther down the hold. It was followed by a smaller thud and noise that sounded a great deal like a pained gasp.

Both young men spun towards the sound, but neither called out. If anyone was there, the last thing they wanted to do was to let that person know that they knew someone was there.

Duo quickly and soundlessly moved down to the end of the aisle, Heero behind him. The thump could have just been cargo shifting after the sudden lurch, but there were other things it could be as well- and not all of them were good. The gasp that followed it, however, told them a very great deal about what- or better, who- might be hiding there. When he reached the end of the corridor, where a small door opened into another storage area, he motioned to the side, then slid over to the front of the door.

Heero caught his meaning instantly, and moved to stand directly to the side of the door. Not only did this put him out of sight of anything or anyone who might be behind the door, it gave him a chance to grab them if they tried to run past.

Duo spared a moment to think about just how he and Heero acted like a perfect team while barely knowing each other (and didn't his hormones have a very nice time with that idea), then he quickly darted forward and threw open the door.

The first body that raced out hit the braided pirate squarely in the stomach, causing them both to roll back into the aisle. The second wasn't moving as quickly, and paused at the sight of the two grappling in the aisle. Heero took the moment to lunge forward and grab the second person's waist.

The smaller body instantly bucked and twisted, trying to get away. The other might have succeeded, too, if another lurch of the ship hadn't sent them falling again. This time, Heero landed on top, pinning the person beneath him and stopping any attempt they might have made to escape.

It was at this point that Heero got his first good look at the person he was attempting to capture.

"You!?"

(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)

After Duo and Heero had descended into the hold, Will had left off on the glares, and turned to sharpening his sword. As he worked, he began to talk.

"When I was a lad, living in England, my mother raised me by herself. After she died, I cam out here." Will paused, then continued. "Looking for my father."

"Is that so," Jack commented in a deliberately neutral voice. He was occupied with checking some of the rigging. When he finished, he moved back up the ship towards the helm.

Will followed. "My father, Will Turner," he repeated. "And in jail , it was only after you knew my name that you agreed to help; since that's all I wanted I didn't press the matter... I'm not a simpleton, Jack. You knew my father."

Jack didn't look up from the rope he was now securing to the side of the ship- but he did pause for a moment, considering. It would do no good to lie; the boy, for all he was prejudiced and apt to rush in, was no idiot. Standing, he looked Will right in the face. "I knew him," he confirmed after a long moment. "Probably the only one who knew him a William Turner. Everyone else just called him Bootstrap, or Bootstrap Bill." With that, he moved to take the helm.

"Bootstrap?" Will muttered.

"Good man," Jack stated from the helm. "Good pirate." He glanced back at Will. "I swear, you look just like him"

"It's not true," Will insisted, unable to believe what he was hearing. "He was a merchant sailor. A good, respectable man who obeyed the law."

"He was a bloody pirate, a scallywag," Jack snorted. Really, the kid was almost too good at deluding himself...

"My father," hissed Will, yanking his sword out, "was not a pirate!"

Jack didn't even glance away from the course he was holding. "Put if away, son," he advised quietly. "It's not worth you getting beat again."

"You didn't beat me," Will snarled "You ignored the rules of engagement, in a fair fight I'd kill you."

"Well, that's not much incentive for me to fight fair, then, is it?" Jack snorted, turning around at last, but ignoring the sword point that was in front of his face.

Before Will could reply, Jack had turned back and spun the wheel far over. This brought the boom swinging across the ship like a massive log. Will barely had time to look up and see it before it cannoned into him. The impact caused the young smith to drop his sword, and the momentum of the boom swung Will out over the ocean waters with it. Will clutched franticly at the wood and ropes to avoid dropping- he could swim quite well, but what good would that do him if there were no boats in sight? He certainly wasn't going to trust the pirate to pull him out.

Jack, who had ducked the boom, strolled over and pick up Will's fallen sword. Time to teach this puppy a lesson. "Now as long as you're just hanging there, pay attention," he drawled to the dangling Will. "The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do, and what a man can't do. For instance: you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man- or you can't. But," he added thoughtfully, "pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that someday.

"Me, for example," he continued, strolling back to the helm, "I could let you drown. But I can't survive the fit your mate is likely to throw if I let that happen- and Duo can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by his onesie, savvy? So" Jack spun the helm back into its original position, letting the boom swing back to dump Will on the deck. He then strolled over to the collapsed smith and held the sword on him, an inch from his throat. "Can you sail under the command of a pirate?" A quick toss- and the sword was being held out to Will, hilt first. "Or can you not?"

Will slowly reached out and grasped the hilt. Still on his back he studied the blade, then looked up at Jack. "Tortuga?"

The smile on the Jack's face was easily the rival of any of Duo's. "Tortuga."

(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)

They had just settled back to their previous deck routines- Jack at the helm with Will back to sharpening his sword- when the commotion boiled out of the hold.

Heero stormed up first, pulling a smaller blonde boy behind him. He was glaring more than usual, and seemed incredibly put out about something. The blonde being dragged by the smith was very sweet looking, with a face that could pull off innocent with no trouble whatsoever. His wide bright blue eyes helped the appearance of innocence as well, but he currently looked more annoyed than anything. He was trying, in vain, to tug his wrist free from the other's grasp. Heero ignored this, and continued to haul the smaller boy up out of the hold.

Duo and another boy popped out directly after, the new comer sending glares of his own at the pirate, who was laughing so hard he could barely keep his feet under him.

The second stranger had brown hair lighter than Heero's, but less tawny then Duo's. It was swept forward in a thick wave of bang that easily obscured half of his face behind it. The one eye that could be seen was clear emerald, and was directing a look at Duo that fell somewhere between annoyed and dislike. The look flicked to Heero's grasp on the blonde's arm at regular intervals, where it changed to near anger. The green-eyed boy was also the tallest of the group, topping Heero by several inches, with his blonde friend being about an inch shorter than his captor.

In addition to the complicated looking feelings swirling around, there was the noise.

Heero appeared to be swearing under his breath as he stomped along. Duo, far from swearing, was laughing hysterically. He seemed to find something very amusing, indeed. The blonde was, from what Jack could hear when Duo paused to catch his breath, trying to get Heero to let him go, and demanding to know what was going on. The tall boy was the only one not saying anything, but his glares just seemed to be provoking more laughter from Duo, so it didn't really matter.

This entire surging melee was making it's way strait for Jack, led my Heero. The younger of the smith-turned-pirate walked strait up to Jack, and stopped, bring the mini-mob to a halt with him.

Jack raised an eyebrow. He was not going to ask. This kind of thing didn't need a question to get an explanation.

Duo, finally getting enough control over himself to talk, turned to face Jack. "We got stow-aways!" he crowed. "They were in the hold! You should have seen the look's on their faces when He-chan there recognized them- and the look and He-chan's face was just so priceless!" Duo dissolved in laughter again, this time to glares from all three of the other boys.

Jack, recognizing that getting anything sensible out of Duo was going to take a while, turned to Heero. The smith was currently glaring at Duo, not entirely sure how react to 'He-chan'. He didn't want a nickname, dammit!

Will, meanwhile, was staring at the blonde. "Quatre Winner?!" he blurted.

"Ah, do you know the gentlemen?" Jack queried, turning from the younger smith to the older. "Because if you do, it would be good to introduce us. I like knowing people on my own ship."

The blonde, now positively identified, finally spoke up. "I apologize for not asking permission to come aboard; but I was already on when you boarded, so it's a bit of a moot point."

Jack's attention swiveled back to those in front of him, now focusing on the young blonde. "And exactly what, young master, were you doing sneaking on board a fleet of the Royal Navy?"

Duo went into fresh gales of laughter at Jack's mocking imitation of an officer.

"Hiding," was the calm reply.

"From...?" the pirate prodded.

"The Navy, of course."

"And you would be hiding from the Navy because...?"

"So they wouldn't know we were on the ship."

Heero interrupted the back and forth before Jack started to bang someone's head into the mast. Probably Winner's, but with the way Duo was laughing, that wasn't a given. "Quatre," he ground out, "why don't you and Trowa head up to the bow for a while?"

The green-eyed boy, now given a name, reached over and put a hand on Quatre's arm. "Good idea," he said, speaking for the first time. He and Quatre drew off for a bit, and Jack turned back to Heero.

"I take it you know them?"

"Yes."

Jack gritted his teeth very, very hard, and resisted trying to pull the swing-the-boom on this smith. He wasn't as likely to be blind-sided as young Turner. "Enlighten me, if you would be so kind."

"He's the son of the head of Winner Shipping-"

"WHAT?!" Duo finally had stopped laughing. "That's the richest company in the Caribbean, and one of the most powerful in just about any waters you care to name! The guy in top is so rich he makes most noblemen looks shabby. That's the man's son?!"

"Yes."

"And why are you telling us this?" Jack asked, casting a sharp glance at Heero. "We're pirates, remember? What's to stop us from holding him for ransom, gold, gems, so on and so forth?"

"... he's safer here than back at his house."

"Come again?" Both Duo and Jack were looking at Heero like he had just sprouted antlers.

"He'd be safer while being held for ransom."

"Why?" Duo demanded in honest confusion. "I'd think that his family could afford to hire more then decent bodyguards."

"Most of the danger isn't from outside the family, though there is some of that," Will explained, rejoining the conversation. He cast a glance up at the pair currently exploring the bow. "Quatre is the youngest of 30 children."

"Thirty?" sputtered Duo. "How many different beds did his dad jump into?!"

Heero cast an annoyed glace at the braided pirate. "There's a tradition in his family of marrying young, to produce as many heirs as possible. His father married when he was 17; his wife was almost constantly pregnant up until she died giving birth to Quatre."

"But the problem is," Will continued, "the 'many heir' theory didn't work. Despite all the children, Quatre is the only male. And his father is very old fashioned. He is going to leave the entire business in Quatre's hands when he retires."

"Ah, hah," Jack commented. "That would leave 29 older, more experienced sisters who have been essentially ignored?"

"Right."

"Sisters who might feel very angry and very jilted to be so passed by?" Duo questioned.

"Correct."

"Sisters who might wish their darling brother serious and possible fatal harm as a consequence?" Jack continued.

"Yes."

"Not all of them," Heero corrected.

Will threw him a look, but expanded on the sisters. "Not all of them feel like that; some, those who have no interest in business, adore him. But the sisters aren't the only problem. Quatre also has some very serious... philosophy issues with his father. The last I heard, they weren't on speaking terms."

"Issues? What issues?" Duo asked, throwing a glance at the small blonde and the taller brunette- just in time to see them lock lips in a kiss that obviously wasn't their first. "Ah, wait, lemme guess- his father wants him to get married young and sire lots of heirs- and he refuses?"

"How-" Heero began, before following Duo's gaze. "Oh. Yes, his father refuses to accept his son's choice of companions, and has banned him from ever seeing Trowa again. Quatre doesn't listen. But it's more than that."

Will took up the story once again. "Hiram Winner, his father, simply doesn't believe in violence- in any situation." The tone of that sentence was enough to tell both Duo and Jack what the blacksmith thought of that- and when Duo glanced at Heero's face, the same thought was mirrored there: Idiot. "His ships have weapons and arms, but he puts very stiff penalties on any Captains who order them to be used. They loose a lot of money to pirates. Quatre, while he is dammed good at moving around fights, thinks they're unavoidable in certain situations."

"Hang on a minute," Jack interrupted. "Let me see if I get the picture: The young blonde gentleman currently kissing the young brunette gentleman on our bow is not only a wanted man by several of dear elder siblings, but in rather dire straits with his father. Said father also doesn't accept violence, meant that while he won't send assassins himself, he's going to refuse to believe in them from anyone else. Thus, for two reasons, he might very well fail to get adequate protection for his son."

"Yes," Heero confirmed. "Quatre and Trowa have already fought of two attempts that I know of- they are both better fighters then their appearance suggests."

"They'd have to be," muttered Duo, still taking in the information. "It's hard to imagine some who looks more harmless then Blondie over there. What about his boyfriend?"

Will spoke up again. "Trowa Barton came to the island as part of a traveling entertainment group. I don't know much about his past, but he would do just about anything for Quatre, and Quatre feels the same way about him. When Mr. Winner found out, he pretty much threw Quatre out of the house. However, Quatre has his own money, so they have been living fairly well since."

"Which still doesn't answer the question of what they're doing on my ship!"

"Having fun; maybe trying to annoy Quatre's father. Quatre never got along with his father, and much of what he does is designed to get under his father's skin."

Jack sighed. Why him? Why did the fates so enjoy playing tricks like this on him?

As if sensing that the discussion about them had finished, the two on the bow moved back to join the main group.

"Well, Mister Winner," Jack drawled, looking him square in the eye. "It seems that you're safer in with a band of bloodthirsty pirates than back at home. And since turning anywhere to drop you off would be a rather foolish thing to do, you are going to have a share in the adventure as well. I hope you enjoy the trip."

"I think we will, Captain," Quatre replied in amusement. "How long to Tortuga?"

"What makes you think we're going to Tortuga?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Two pirates, two smiths, and two stowaways hardly make a crew," the small blond pointed out.

"True," Jack conceded. "Approximately and somewhere in the vicinity of five days."

"In the meantime," Duo grinned, "It is up to myself to teach all you newbies the ropes- pun intended- of sailing. Come on!"

Jack watched his partner drag all four of the others away. Why did he have the feeling that the only peace during this journey would be gotten by jumping over-board?

(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)

A/N: I don't like this chapter as much, but is was okay. How do you like Quatre and Trowa? You don't really know them yet, and like I said, they're kinda side characters here- but they're fun all the same. I'm sorry I was gone for so long, and I never intended to be! Stupid parents and their ideas of kicking me off the computer... NEway, here are the notes! I'm answereing both the reviews that were given to chapter 8, and the comments that came up in response to the notes in chapter 9.

katrina:
Thank you for liking and reviewing my story- and I'm sorry that I took so long getting this chapter out. Hope you enjoyed it! Many thanks for your complements.

Shaeric Draconis:
Thank you for the complements! I think I went a little out of character in this chapter, but it couldn't be helped... :sigh: Ah, well. And things are going to get more and more unpredictable... Muahaha. Hope you like it!

The Elven Archer of Rivendell:
I'm thinking Hilde for Anamariea, too... Hope you liked the new chapter. It took forever to do...

Mystical-Maiden:
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Sorry I made you wait so long- but I hope you like the new chapter. Thank you for reviewing and I agree with you about the mixture; there's nothing else like it! Thank you for your votes on the girls, but due to certiane revions I plan on doing to my plot line, they might not show up until much later then I first expected. And rant all you like about your government; if you have to listen to me ranting, then I have to listen to you. It's only fair.

Ashen Skies:
Thanks many times for reading my stories (and I can't wair until you update). I'm really flattered that you like this story so much- and thank you for your consturctive critisim, as it really helped. I agree with you about Will- but he gets better as time goes on. I think a good part of it is ignorace, not idiocy, so as he learns it clears up a bit. Hope you like the new bits to this chapter!

deathcrow:
Might as well be me who starts the rant; means I can be gone by the end of it, after all. Hope you didn't lose all intrest in the fic while waiting for this chapter!

p-chan:
Who wouldn't think of him as a monkey? He is such a freaking idiot... I'm sooo sorry I took so long! I really hope you enjoy this chapter!

SapphireDragon2:
Thank you! I'm sorry I made you wait so long for the chapter, but I hope you like it. I agree, Relena was very fun to write as that maid. :snicker: I'm torn between hating that girl and wanting to see her grown up and decent. I think hating won over in this fic... How'd you like Quatre, so far? He hasn't really done anything, yet, but he's be introduced... did I do him okay? My favorites and Duo and Heero, with Wufei coming in a close second, just because I want to smack him so badly. He can be such an idiot, sometimes...

Elbatsnu:
Yes, that is one of the reasons that I want Hilde as Anamaria, too... How'd you like this almost totally original chapter? I do indeed plan to start adding in more and more of my own pieces as time goes on, so I hope you'll enjoy it! Many, many thanks for the lovely review!

cadie. T:
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I've seen more than one GW/POtC crossovers, but many of them have Heero winding up with Relena, and I can't really accept that. The timeline is going to start moving off, like I mentioned, so be prepared for some more differeces as time goes on. Thank you again for reviewing, and I really hope you liked the new chapter!

reader:
Ain't that the truth. I think that possesing a gaping character flaw is a prequesite for going into polotics. Ah, well... at least it provides some entertainment.

Lady Foeseeker:
Thanks for the compliment! And I agree- both the candidates were idiots. :sigh: Anyway, I'm sorry that I made you wait for so long to get this chapter, and I hope you liked it!

M-python-girl:
No! Not the fanatics! I'm really sorry I took so long, really I am... :kicked kitty eyes: Hope you liked the chapter!

chibi luci:
Thank you for the long review! And, no, you weren't over simplifying the process, at least not for the beginning- but more differeces are going to be showing up as time goes on. Treize might have a cameo, but I haven't decided who or where yet; but it would be fun to get him in here. Here are Quatre and Trowa, and Wufei should be joining them when they leave Tortuga, so don't worry about them. I will be ignoring a large amount of connections, but I'll put them in where I can. And I did enjoy Relena's role. :snicker: Doesn't it suit her? Thanks for the votes,a dn I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Miza:
When you finish and wind up here, I hope you love it just as much! Many, many thanks for your comliments on my writing, and I hope you like what I'm doing with the story.

Silverblaise:
Thank you! I've read a few shoe-horn fics, and I have to say that they feel like nails on a chalkboard...they just grate on your nerves. I'm very flattered that you think this story isn't like that. Also, further thanks for noting the bits of text that I put in like that- I love reading novels of movies, just to get those. They really are fun. Hilde will be smacking Duo, but I can't yet vouch for who she's going to be. And I don't mind long reviews; on the contrary, I love 'em! :graps chocolate before the muses can get it: Thank you from all of my evil muses... I think they're too high on catnip right now to actually be coherent. Makes a nice change... And how's this for soon?