Chapter One: An Introduction of sorts.

Captain Jack Sparrow starred out at the vast Caribbean water in front of him.

"Gibbs!" he bellowed.

"Aye Captain?" the first mate asked as he walked up to the helm to meet his captain.

"Tell the crew we're heading for Tortuga."

Gibbs nodded and began to walk away when Jack continued on.

"Oh and Gibbs," Sparrow slurred.

"Yes Captain?" the first mate said as he turned and paused.

"Take the helm for now. I be needin' a bit of rum meself."

"Aye Captain," said Gibbs laughing at his Captains retreating back. "Aye."

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Meanwhile, two days away in Tortuga Julia Bell scowled at her employer, an old, balding, fat, sweaty man by the name of George Benson. Benson had just finished commanding Julia to mop the floor of the East Inn again and you can be sure Julia was none too happy about it.

"And don't be thinkin' ye can half ass any of it missy! I'm not stupid!"

"Sure you're not." Julia said to herself with a slight smirk.

"I'll be watching ya!" yelled Benson as he walked away.

"Blah blah blah!" mumbled Julia as her retort. She once again began to scrub the floor of the East Inn. At one point in time the East Inn had most likely been a reputable place, but then this was Tortuga after all. Currently the East Inn was inhabited by the likes of habitual drunks, whores, thieves, and pirates (thoughyou could most likely classify the last two groups as the same).

Julia worked at the East Inn as a barmaid and general slave to any flight of fancy that might pop into old decaying Bensons head.

"That sodding ass..." Julia muttered as she scrubbed an overly caked with dirt spot on the East Inn floor.

"That's all right darling," her mind cooed, "You'll be out of here in no time." Julia desperately wanted to believe her mind but at this point, things in her life weren't exactly heading towards levity; Julia had already been stuck in Tortuga for a year because of the damn debt her family owed Benson (luckily she was the only surviving member of the Bell clan able to pay off that debt).

"And when ye be done with da floor the kitchen be needin' some elbow grease Julia!" Benson yelled from his office in the back of the East Inn.

Julia sighed in response, throwing her disgustingly dirty rag back into the murky water pall that sat next to her and then once again proceeded to scrub the floor.

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"Tortuga! Jack yelled.

The crew of the Black Pearl rose up a cheer as their Captain addressed them.

"You have three days gentlemen, I suggest," Jack drawled, "that you make the bloody most of it!"

The crew cheered again.

"Drink, bed a few women," the cheer again cheered, "Be merry! But stay the bleezes outta trouble or it be your back when the Pearl sets off again!"

The crew went silent, shuffling from foot to foot waiting for their Captains next move. Jack Sparrow smirked while jumping down off of the crate he'd been preaching on, and sauntered off the Black Pearl.

"Three days gents! Make the most of it!" Sparrow shouted over his shoulder to the crew who then sprang to action and eagerly began a mass exodus off of the Black Pearl.

Jack smiled to himself as he stopped to observe the action around him. Tortuga was alive, bustling with energy, ready as always for action. Scantily clad women walked past Jack giving him the eye, a few times heads nodded towards the infamous pirate captain. The smell of dirt and rum punctuated the air.

"Ahh Tortuga." He breathed in deeply. "Ye've really just got to luv the place." Jack smiled again and continued forward on his foray, glancing around ever so often.

He looked up to see quite a large number of people entering a building that was really no different than any of the others in Tortuga, but seemed to hold mass appeal.

"The East Inn. That's not familiar." Jack said softly as he looked at it with an acquisitive eye.

"Oh well. There's bound to be rum anyway! What the hell." He said and walked in.