Chapter 7

"Most importantly" Said Jack, as we walked through the crowed streets of Tortuga. "It is a sad life that has never breathed deep, the sweet proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga, savvy? What do you think?"

"It's very.....intense" I replied, noticing a man and a woman, kissing , hard, in an alley way.

"It'll linger" Said Will, clearly, not liking the place.

"I'll tell you mate, if every town in the world were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted" Jack continued, as we walked into a street, swarming with whores. "Scarlet!" Jack cried, as an ugly red head woman, wearing a low bodice gown came up to us. Without a word she slapped him across the face and walked off. "Not sure I deserved that" He said to Will and I. "Giselle!" He said as a blonde woman with far too much makeup came strolling up to us.

"Who was she and who is that?" Asked the blonde, hands on her hips, glaring from Jack to me.

"Wha?" The blonde slapped Jack across the face and stalked off. "I may have deserved that" He said. I couldn't help laughing. Jack glared at me and Will smirked. "Come on".

Jack lead Will and I to an alley, where a middle aged man was sleeping on a pile of pigs. Nearby, was a well, where Jack and Will filled up a bucket of water each. The three of us, walked back over to where the man was and I had to hold my nose, he smelt so bad.

"One, two, three..." Whispered Jack and threw his bucket of water, all over the man, waking him and the pigs.

"CURSE YOU FOR BREATHING YOU SLACK JAWED IDIOT!" Will and I watched in amazement, as the man shouted then realized who it was. "Mother's love! Jack! You should know better then I, not to wake a man while he's sleeping. S' bad luck." He said.

"Ah, fortunately I know how to counter it. The man who did the waking buys the man who was sleeping a drink. The man who was sleeping drinks it while listening to a proposition from a man who did the waking." Jack replied. Will and I exchanged confused looks and the man stared at Jack for a moment.

"Aye, that'll about do it." He finally said and stood up.

"May I do the honours?" I whispered to Will. He nodded and handed me his bucket, which I chucked at the man, drenching him entirely.

"BLAST I'M ALREADY AWAKE!" He yelled.

"That was for the smell" Said Will. Jack and I nodded. The man thought for a moment and shrugged.

"Onward to the Dancing Pirate!" He said and lead the way. Will, Jack and I followed.

"Jack, what is the Dancing Pirate?" I asked.

"Only the greatest tavern, in all of Tortuga, Luv." Jack replied, placing his arm around my shoulders.

As we walked through the streets of Tortuga, whores leered at me and drunken pirates, whistled and winked. "Just keep close to me, Luv." Whispered Jack.

Soon we reached a large building, with a sign that read "The Dancing Pirate". The man grinned and went in followed closely by Jack, Will and I.

"Drink, Luv? What will you be having Gibbs? Will, any rum?" Asked Jack.

"I'll have a pint of rum" Said the man, who turned out to be Mr Gibbs who had snapped at Elizabeth, on the crossing from England 8 years ago.

"Nothing for me" Will told Jack, who seemed disappointed.

"And you, Luv?" Asked Jack, turning to me.

"I'll just have a glass of cold water" I replied. Jack smiled and disappeared into the crowd.

"Will, this place is making me feel a little uncomfortable" I said.

"I know the feeling." Will replied, taking my hand and squeezing it.

A few minutes later, Jack returned with two pints of rum and my glass of water. "Here you are Annabelle"He said, handing the glass to me. As Jack went to over to sit at the table, Mr Gibbs had gotten for them, he whispered something to Will, who nodded and leant against a pillar, near their table. I made my way tojoin them, but abruptly stopped when someone grabbed my arm tightly.

"Ello, Darlin'. Care to give us a li'l kiss?" I spun around to see, a pirate sneering at me, tightening his grip on my arm. He wore a black bandanna over his shaggy brown hair and like Jack, he wore black ochre around his eyes, which made him look fearsome. Repulsed, I tried to wrench my arm away, but the pirate held it far too tightly.

"Goin' somewhere, Girlie?" He asked, his gold teeth glittering, mockingly. Panicking I tried to signal to Will but the crowds had blocked my view, leaving me defenceless. I wished I had brought my sword.

My panic turned to fury and I threw my glass of water on him. Anger ignited in the pirate's eyes and he ripped the empty glass from my hand, then threw it to the ground, shattering it to tiny pieces.

"You'll pay for that!" Snarled the pirate and swung my arm behind my back, holding me tightly, my back hard against his chest. I cried out in pain and tears started to run down my face. With his free arm, the pirate pulled out a small dagger and held it high, ready to plunge it into my stomach. Oh Shit. I clenched my eyes tightly shut, waiting for the pain. But it didn't come.

"It's not nice to threaten a lady" Came Jack's voice from beside me.

I opened my eyes, to see Jack, sword to the pirate's neck, an angry look on his face. Relived, I looked to the left to see Will, sword at the ready. His eyes filled with anger, worry and.....love? No. I assured myself. He was in love with Elizabeth.

"Let her go!" Will growled at the pirate. With a little persuasion from the sharp end of Jack's sword, the pirate let me go. Instantly, I ran into Will's arms and held onto him tightly.

The pirate was not through yet. He whipped out his sword and met it with Jack's. The two were locked in battle for only a short amount of time, for Jack managed to disarm his opponent, leaving the pirate weapon less, having already dropped his little dagger. The pirate stepped backwards, trying to retrieve his sword, but fell flat on his back. Jack placed a foot on the pirate's chest and his sword to the pirate's neck.

"You won't be threatening my Lady friend here, any longer, savvy?" He stated, in a low tone.

The pirate gulped and nodded. Jack released him and he, Will, Gibbs and I left the tavern.

"I must be off now, Jack" Gibbs said to Jack. "I'll have ye a crew, meet us at the docks at nine in the morning"

Jack nodded and we left Gibbs, and made our way back to the Interceptor.

"Might be a good idea ta sleep on the ship tonight, Annie" Jack told me, once we were back on the ship.

I nodded. " It would be" I replied. "Thankyou, Jack. I really need to get a sword" I stepped up on my tip-toes and gave Jack a kiss on the cheek.

"No worries, Luv. Perhaps, I'll get yer a sword." He gave my a cheeky smile and retreated to the captain's cabin.

I scanned the deck to see Will, standing at the rail, like I had done eight years ago, staring out into the dark waters. If only he knew, I thought, If only he knew.

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I was shaken awake the next day, by a wide awake Jack.

"Wake up, Annie" He said, shaking me harder.

"Jack! What is it?" I asked, sitting up in my bed.

"We can't be late on meeting the crew, now can we, Luv?" He replied, sheepishly, helping my out of bed. I could see Jack, eyeing my under shift. Even though I wasn't ashamed, I gave him a look and got him to turn around, while I changed.

I slipped on my dress, not bothering with the corset from hell, but had trouble with the back. "Jack, could you just..." I motioned for him to do up the back of my dress.

"Of course"

I felt a blush rise from my neck, when his hands fixed up the back of my gown. It did not take him long to finish. When he did, I turned back towards him and gave him a genuine smile.

"Thanks"

"Your welcome. Now, let's go meet our crew" He replied and offered his arm. Still smiling, I took it and we left the cabin.

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"Feast your eyes, captain. All of them, faithful hands before the mast. Every man worth his salt and crazy to boot" Mr Gibbs explained to Jack, who was walking along the line of pirates.

"So this is your able bodied crew?" Will asked sarcastically, as Jack stopped in front of a tall pirate with a parrot on his shoulder.

"You sailor!" Jack exclaimed.

"Cotton, sir" Said Gibbs.

"Mr Cotton. Do you have the courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death? Mr Cotton! Answer man!" Jack asked, but the tall pirate did not reply.

"He's a mute, sir. Poor devil had his tongue cut out" Said Gibbs and Cotton stuck out his non-existent tongue. "So he trained his parrot to talk for him. No one's yet figured how"

"Mr Cotton's....parrot, same question." Jack said to the parrot.

"Wind in the sails! Wind in the sails!" Squawked the parrot, flapping it's wings.

Jack shot Gibbs a confused look. "Mostly, we figure, that means yes" Gibbs told him.

"O'course it does." Replied Jack and turned to Will and I. "Satisfied?"

"Well you've proved them mad" Will replied.

"Will!" I hissed.

"What's the benefit for us?" Called a voice from further down the line of pirates. Will and I followed Jack to a dark skinned boy, wearing a floppy hat. Jack studied the boy for a minute, then removed his hat. To reveal a pretty, dark skinned, woman with shoulder length black hair.

"Ana Maria"

Ana Maria Slapped Jack hard across the face, whose head was swung to face Will and I from the impact.

Will smirked. "I suppose you didn't deserve that one either".

"No, that one I deserved" Jack replied and turned back to the raving Ana Maria.

"YOU STOLE MY BOAT!" She shouted.

"Actually" He started, but Ana Maria slapped him again. "Borrowed, borrowed without permission. But with every intention of bringing it back".

"BUT YOU DIDN'T!"

"You'll get another one" Jack said, in a reassuring tone.

"I will" Ana Maria told him, pointing her fore finger at him, menacingly. Jack cowered.

"A better one" Added Will, playing along. I was enjoying this and was almost red in the face from trying not to laugh.

"A better one!" Agreed Jack.

"That one" I said and pointed to the Interceptor.

"What one?" Jack asked, turning to Will and I. Will pointed to the Interceptor. "That one?!" Will and I nodded. Jack scowled and turned back to Ana Maria. "Aye! That one. What say you?"

Ana Maria thought for a moment. "Aye!"

"Aye!" Agreed the rest of the crew.

"No, no, no, no, no, it's frightful bad luck to have women aboard, sir" Said Gibbs, pushing past the crew, towards Jack.

"I'd be far worse not to have them" Jack replied, looking at the sky and turned and followed the crew to the ship. Gibbs sighed and followed also. "We leave tomorrow morning" Jack called back to Will, Ana Maria and I, who had stayed behind.

Will muttered something I didn't catch and followed the crew.

"Name's Ana Maria" Said Ana Maria, holding out a hand to me.

"Annabelle" I replied, shaking her outstretched hand.

"Well, Annabelle, this looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship" She replied as we followed Will to the ship.