Later the same day, the Black Pearl had sailed into the bay of Tortuga. Kat sat in the row boat, feeling it bob up and down as the waves lapped the edges. Jack was ahead of her in another boat. She hadn't seen him since this morning at the helm. They had kept out of each other's way; for the same reason she guessed – they didn't quite understand how they felt. She stared at the back of his head, wondering what was going to become of it all. First she had been his friend, then there was definite closeness…and now there was awkwardness.

Kat and Anamaria's boat was the last to reach land. The rest of the crew had already disappeared into taverns and alley ways. Kat stared at the rambunctious scene before her. Drunken shrieks and laughs filled the air and everyone around them was running around wildly. Most of them were fighting and drinking themselves silly. The women all wore low cut dresses, their hair piled high and their faces painted. There had been quite a lot of whores and drunkards in the part of St Lucia that Kat used to live in, but nowhere near as many as she could see in Tortuga.

Kat walked along with Anamaria uncomfortably, passing whores who looked them up and down competitively. One of the men standing with one of them leered at Kat as she passed, causing the woman on his arm to glare at her nastily. Anamaria was walking along confidently in her loose pirate clothes, ignoring the laughs and insults thrown at her.

"What are you staring at, slut!" she snapped at one of them, who was wearing more red rouge on her lips than the kohl Jack wore on his eyes. Ana turned to Kat.

"Stupid harlots." she said bitterly. "When Jack stole my boat I was stuck in this filthy place. Then the only way I could leave was to join his crew when he came back a couple of days later. I can't say I'm thrilled at being back here."

"Why have we stopped here?" Kat asked. "It can't be just because we're out of rum!"

"That's the only reason." Anamaria replied, rolling her eyes. "Men!"

"So I take it Jack's in that tavern?" Kat said casually, gesturing towards the pub.

"Did ye sort it out with him yet?"

"No. I haven't even spoken to him since this morning. I don't really know what to say to him." They stopped outside the tavern and Kat hovered by the door hesitantly. She waited for Anamaria to give her some helpful advice, but she was busy scowling ferociously at a whore across the street.

"Er…do you know her?" Kat asked confusedly.

"Who could forget a bitch like her?" Anamaria said vehemently, clenching her fists in anger. "Last time I was here she…never mind. I'm going to sort her out!"

Before Kat could stop her, she had marched across to the woman and they both squared up to each other. Kat wondered if she should go over there, but then Ana grabbed a fistful of the woman's hair, making her screech in pain and annoyance. Kat raised her eyebrows, deciding that Anamaria was handling it quite well on her own.

She pulled open the door to the tavern and wasn't surprised that it was just as chaotic inside as it was outside. There was a crash as a table was knocked over nearby and Kat suddenly ducked as a tankard of alcohol was hurled across the room. A staggering drunk suddenly toppled into her and she impatiently shoved him out of the way. She just hoped Jack wasn't completely intoxicated like these idiots. She looked around for him, but it was hard to see the entire place because there was so many people scrapping and flirting in her way. Her eyes quickly scanned the end of the pub she was at, but Jack was nowhere to be seen.

Jack was at the furthest corner of the pub, draining his second tankard of rum when his thoughts were interrupted by a soft, seductive voice.

"All alone?"

The woman standing in front of him wore a provocative red dress and her blonde hair was piled high apart from two long tendrils that framed her face prettily. Jack stared at her, but hesitated. He found himself thinking of Kat and the way they had stood at the helm together and then almost kissed. Jack had turned away from her because his feelings troubled him. He had realised that he cared about Kat a lot and that wasn't right. Pirates weren't meant to have those sorts of emotions. He was Captain Jack Sparrow and he had a reputation to keep up. Love was for fools and he didn't intend to become one. He looked at the whore in front of him and decided that he needed to prove that he was still his normal self – a complete rogue.

"I could do with some company, luv." Jack grinned back at the whore, his gold teeth glinting slightly as he spoke. She hitched up her skirts and perched on his lap. As she leaned in to kiss him, Jack pushed any thoughts of Kat to the back of his mind.

Meanwhile, Kat was still trying to make her way across the raucous tavern. She suddenly felt an arm slip round her waist and jumped in horror.

"'ello, darlin'." A disgusting man slurred at her. "Want to spend the night with me? I'll pay ye well."

His breath stank of alcohol as he breathed heavily with desire right into her face. Kat had never felt so completely furious in all her life. Pushing him away with all her strength, she started to yell at him, outraged. Her voice carried right to the far end of the pub where Jack was sitting. Some people even stopped fighting to listen.

"HOW DARE YOU REQUEST SUCH A THING FROM ME? I'VE NEVER MET ANYONE MORE DESPICABLE IN ALL MY LIFE!"

Jack felt something jolt inside him as the enraged female voice reached his ears. Yes, that was Kat alright. The blonde whore on his lap was fiddling with one of the beads in his hair. It suddenly occurred to Jack that if Kat saw him with a whore on his lap, then she might be hurt. And also she would hate him and think he was a scoundrel, a womaniser. Jack knew that was true, but he didn't want Kat to hate him. He knew he had to get rid of the woman fast. But before he could say anything, she had started to talk in a chatty, gossipy sort of way.

"Listen to the mouth on her! Doesn't she know where she is? I mean, what does she expect from Tortuga men? I'd behave in a much more…generous way. Why don't we go somewhere where I can show you…"

"Not tonight, luv. I think ye'd better seat yerself on that man over there instead, he seems quite taken with ye." Jack said inexpressively and tried to gently remove her from his lap.

The whore glanced over at the man at the next table and wrinkled her nose unappreciatively. She shifted closer to Jack and placed her hands on his chest determinedly.

"No, I like you much better. Don't you like me?"

"Er…" Jack looked over at where the small crowd had gathered to watch Kat lose her temper. All he could see of her through the mob of people was a glimpse of her purple dress and some of her dark hair.

Kat was glaring at the man she had shouted at with all the hatred she had in her. He was enjoying the attention, seeing her as some kind of challenge or prize to be won. Smirking at her, he advanced on her again – this time running his hands up her waist to her chest. Through the gap in the crowd, Jack saw what happened and tensed in anger. For some reason, he felt like marching over there and hitting the guy in the face; but seeing the murderous expression on Kat's face, he knew he wouldn't have to.

"YOU FILTHY SCUMBAG!"

Kat punched him hard in the jaw and he reeled backwards in shock, the grin gone from his face. The crowd laughed and cheered, loving the entertainment. Kat snatched a full tankard of rum out of someone's hand and threw it over the only man she had ever met who was worse than Daniel Carpenter. Her opponent stumbled backwards, drenched in rum and utterly defeated. The spectators were going wild, but Kat didn't take any notice. She pushed her way through the crowd to look for Jack at the back of the tavern.

Jack heard the cheer of the crowd as Kat threw a drink over the drunken fool and smiled slightly. He admired a person who could stand up for themselves; and it was particularly attractive in a woman. The whore had been watching the scene too, impatient for Jack's attention to turn back to her. She pressed her body closer to his, pulled his hands around her waist and held them there firmly. Jack stopped peering through the crowd and turned back to her with a sheepish grin. He carefully twisted his hands out of her grasp.

"Look…er…"

"Luella."

"Luella, yer lovely…but I can't do this. I can't say why, ye'll just have to trust me."

Luella pouted her red lips at him, but still held his hands to her waist. "What's wrong with me? What don't you like?"

"What? Uh…nothing yer gorgeous…now, don't do that…"

Luella, determined to win him over, had pushed his hands up to her chest. Then she brought her face up to his for another kiss and all Jack could see was her light hair and her rouged cheeks.

Reviewer thanks:

InToDepp – Thanks so much!Hopefully they'll bring out more of Jack's character in the next movie and show some flashbacks of his past. It would be interesting to see how he became a pirate!

Aluna – I'm glad you enjoyed the intimacy between Jack and Kat in that last chapter! I hope you do write a story one day :)

The future Mrs Jack Sparrow – Hiya, thanks so much for reviewing! I'm glad you like the story. I love saying savvy – I said it once after giving someone directions and they gave me such a weird look! Funny though…

Karibbean – Thank you, you're so kind! I need to give 'Including Katrina' a few more reviews. I was rushing last time and I put 'dofferent' instead of 'different'!

TwistofShadows – Thank you, that's so nice! I'm really pleased you like it and I think your pen name is fantastic. :)

Chloe04 – Thank you!

kerricarri – I thought your one-shot was brilliant and from your style of writing I think you would do a great job of writing Jack! I'm glad you liked the closeness, but there won't be any more for at least a few chapters (sorry!). I really want to see some photos of Jack from the set of the sequel – I wonder if he'll still have the same clothes? I think they should at least give him a new bandana to wear – either dark green or dark blue. Thank you 4 the review!