Usual disclaimers – and my blasted monitor's broke wahhhhh!

Thanks to RandomGal, Pendragginink, Orlando's Hot Chick, beatlechicksteph, Roxula's Bride, Galleria, Kat and Hilary and Linnie for editing.

Not much Jack in this chapter, I'm afraid :( And Kat, you have a fight on your hands off Hilary… ;) Penn, "well he gets wounded weekly. Here he is with daylight shining through him, covered with blood, gagging, eyes running and snot pouring out his nose from the smoke-but Im fine darling, merely a superficial wound" had me crying with laughter!

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Chapter eight: 'I ain't havin' anyone who has somethin' ter do with Valentine workin' 'ere.

Jenny woke alone and shot off the bunk and out of the cabin, looking around for Jack. She could hear an altercation coming from the crew's quarters and made her way there, throwing her arms up in annoyance as she saw Jack waking the men.

'What on earth are you doing?' she asked, folding her arms and leaning against the bulkhead.

'We need ter find Valentine before he has chance ter disappear.' Jack swayed and went to put his hand out to stop himself, hissing as he realised too late that he should not move his arm.

'Jack…' Joshamee Gibbs joined Jenny, shaking his head slowly. 'I will organise the men, you need to be resting.'

'Yer not me bloody nursemaid, Gibbs.'

'If you force your arm before it's healed it may never heal and how would you wield a sword then? How would you steer the ship, climb the rigging?' Gibbs argued.

'He's right. Come on back to the cabin,' Jenny pleaded, walking over to him and taking his left hand in hers. 'The men will find Valentine.'

'I should have bloody killed him,' he exploded, snatching his hand away. 'Instead I played th'arrogant fool and he escaped.'

'So we will find him again. It's unlikely that he got off the island,' Mad Pete reasoned, holding his hung-over head to stop it moving too much.

'But he could be doing just that now,' Jack bemoaned, cursing under his breath.

'Jack. Cabin. Now!' Jenny ordered, pushing him away from the gun deck. 'Mr. Gibbs and the rest of the men have it all in hand, now come on.'

Jack sighed, knowing when he was defeated. 'Don't let Bailey cheat us out of half of th'arms,' he reminded his quartermaster as he allowed Jenny to lead him back to their cabin, admitting to himself that he felt worse than he wanted to. He lay carefully down on the bunk and fell asleep almost instantly.

…

'Right, you heard the captain. We need to find Valentine sooner rather than later,' Gibbs ordered. 'Those who know what he looks like, pair up with someone who doesn't. We're also looking out for Hoskins too. Chances are if we find him, we find Valentine. John, you go over ter Le Brestois and sort things out there.'

'Aye Mr. Gibbs,' he agreed.'

The men sorted themselves out into groups of three or four and hurried to the deck, eager to finish the job they had come to do. More than one of them wanted to curry favour with their captain by being the one to kill his nemesis.

Shay broke away from the group once they reached the quayside and headed for The Tortuga Arms, hoping to catch Patience there. He hung around outside for a time, listening to the gossip from the other men waiting for it to open, but he heard nothing of note. He grinned as he saw Patience and a couple of other girls walking towards the tavern and bowed elaborately as they passed, drawing giggles from the other girls, but not Patience. She looked tired and drawn and a little dirty and Shay wondered if it was anything to do with the many fires that had burned through the town that night. He followed them into the tavern as it opened and sat in the corner of the bar where it was quieter. He decided not to push it with the girl, she obviously did not trust him but he had a niggling suspicion that she knew something, if her reaction the night before was anything to go by. So he sat there nursing his drink and watching the comings and goings and wondering if the others had managed to find their quarry.

A group of men walked, glancing around them as if looking for trouble. One of them strode to the bar, sneering at Patience.

'Look, it's Hoskins' whore. I'm surprised yer haven't disappeared with him, ya tart.'

Shay nearly choked on his drink and frowned as Patience went pale and dropped a mug she had been carrying then busied herself clearing up the mess, her face burning and fear shining in her eyes.

'Will ya give me what ya gave Hoskins?' the man enquired, leering at her over the bar.

'I'll give you something in a minute,' she retorted, straightening up again. 'I'll give you what you gave me last night, or rather what you gave my home with that torch you were carrying,' she spat, looking as though she was about to hit the man or at least throw something at him. 'Don't think I don't know.'

'Aye? An' what ya goin' ter do about it, eh?'

'Patience, cailìn,' Shay called, holding his mug up in an attempt to get her away from the situation.

'Ya don't want ter be served by that harlot,' the man laughed cruelly. 'Ya don't know what ya might pick up.'

'What do you want?' she snarled, glaring at him.

'Another ale would be nice fer a start,' he smiled gently. 'Do you need any help?'

'Not from you. I can look after myself.' She poured him his ale and put the mug down in front of him, snatching his money as she went to turn away.

'An' what was a nice lass doing with a bastard like Hoskins?' he asked, bracing himself for her retort.

'What the hell is it to do with you? Who th'hell are ya anyway?' she demanded, glaring at him once more, her blue eyes flashing with anger.

'I told ye who I am last night.'

'Oi, slag. Some of us want servin' here,' another man called, banging his mug on the bar, waving away one of the other wenches as she went to serve him.

'Why don't ye watch yer mouth,' Shay warned, his hand going to the hilt of his short sword.

'Leave me alone. You're doin' nothing but causing me trouble,' Patience hissed.

'As I see it, I'm th'only one who is not givin' ye trouble,' he reasoned, still smiling at her.

'Whore, I want another drink!'

'So do I.'

'An' me, whore. Whore, whore, whore.'

The crowd of men at the bar took up the mantra and soon the tavern was a cacophony of noise as the men chanted and banged their mugs on the bar or tables, refusing to let the other barmaids serve them.

'What the hell is goin' on here?' A large man came from the back room and drew his sword, pointing it at the mob. 'I asked a question!' he demanded, looking at Patience and the barmaids, and then the men.

'Well, if ya employ Hoskins' whore, ya can expect trouble, Adam.'

'Hoskins' whore?' Adam Wilson looked at Patience questioningly, with her head bowed and her eyes staring at the floor, unable to meet his eyes or confirm his question.

'I ain't havin' anyone who has somethin' ter do with Valentine workin' 'ere. Sling yer hook,' he ordered, shoving the unfortunate girl out from behind the bar.

Tearfully, Patience held her head high and walked out of the tavern, flinching as she was poked and prodded by her accusers. She took a deep breath once she was outside and leaned against the wall, wondering what else was going to go wrong.

'Are ye all right, cailìn?'

'Fine,' she snapped. 'Just bloody fine.'

'What was that all about then?'

'What is it to you? You think that by being nice ter me, I'll open me legs to ya, hmm?'

'No, although I wouldn't be complainin' too much if ye did,' he laughed then shrugged apologetically. 'Sorry, Patience. It just seems that yer havin' a rough time at th'moment an' I'd like ter help ye if I can.'

'An' how d'ya propose doin' that? You goin' to build me a new house, find me a job, get Hos… never mind,' she sighed, catching herself just in time.

'What happened t'yer house?'

'There was a mob outside after closin' time an' they torched it. Lived there all me live I have,' she choked, turning away so he could not see her tears.

'I'm sorry me darlin'. Why did they do that? Hoskins?'

'None of your damned business,' Patience retorted then started off down the street, hoping he would not follow.

Shay jogged along to catch her up and went in front of her, blocking her way. 'So what is a nice lass like you doin' with th'likes of Hoskins?'

'I have already told you, none of your bloody business. Now piss off an' leave me alone,' she screamed at him, shoving him in the chest.

'Ye know where they are, don't ye?'

Patience flinched, a look of sheer terror crossing her face. 'Of course I don't,' she snorted, praying the bluff would work.

'Patience, I can help ye. We will make sure no harm comes to ye.'

'An' just who are we?'

'Let me take ye to me captain an' we can talk, eh?'

'Who is your captain?'

'Jack Sparrow.'

'He's th'one who started all this, isn't he? Why? Does he want to be king of Tortuga?'

'No, it was much more personal. Look, come an' see him an' maybe he'll tell ye why an' you can maybe tell him where Valentine an' Hoskins are an' we can finish th'job an' ye never need to worry about them again.'

'What makes you think they worry me?' Patience retorted.

'I saw yer face when Pete mentioned them maybe havin' a hidey hole last night an' just now when I said that ye know where they are. Ye do, don't ye?' he queried as he eyed her questioningly. 'Does Hoskins have a hold over ye?'

'No he doesn't.' Patience turned around at the sound of an altercation behind them and gasped as the men in the tavern spilled out, brawling amongst themselves. Some of them looked towards her and Shay and started coming down the street after them.

'Run!' Shay urged, grabbing her hand and running as fast as he could, fear giving Patience speed and she kept up with him easily.

'Let me go!' She shrieked when she realised they were heading for the docks. 'I am not telling your bleedin' captain anything.'

'We'll be safer on board,' he argued. 'Come on they're catching up.'

'I don't care!' She snatched her hand from his grasp and ran into an alley then disappeared from view as she darted to the left halfway down, leaving Shay in two minds as to whether to follow until he looked around, blanching as he saw that some of the men were still chasing him whilst the others ran down the alley.

'Bloody hell,' he cursed and carried on running, leaping into the water once he reached the wharf and swimming for all he was worth for The Black Pearl.

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