Disclaimer: I don't own PotC stuff, ok?

Note: Hi again! At this rate, it seems like I'm putting about 2 chapters on a month. Been tough lately, with midterms and we're moving to a new hs, so very hecktic! Well, gtg, please r&r and most importantly: enjoy! See ya in Feb!

CHAPTER 5 - A Night in Tortuga

Commodore Norrington looked beyond his compass at the murky blue before him. It was still very dark, probably around 300 hours. They were finally heading Southeast. A storm had just passed that night, which took the Dauntless slightly off course. Alright, very off course. But knowing the Pearl and it's crew, they had probably stopped at Tortuga for the night, giving the Navy time to catch up to them.

Tortuga wasn't far, they would probably reach it by the next nightfall. He would get his Captians to track the Pearl's route so they would know where the would travel next.

Jonathan Carlynton came up beside the Commedore, startling him. He had thought Jonathan would be asleep, but due to his appearance (day wear), he realized he wasn't. Jonathan rudely grabbed the compass from the Commedore's hand and stared at it simplistically.

The Commodore wanted to chuckle at this, Jonathan was not a sea man, he wouldn't be surprised if he didn't know port from starboard. But Jonathan did own four of Port Royal's fishing ships, the largest in the dock that brought many customers and slaves, to say nothing of actual fish.

"How far away are we, Commedore? When will we reach them?" Jonathan asked.

"Well, Sir, based on my calculations, we should catch up with them in a couple of days. That storm got us off to a rough start, and we lost some time there. But I suspect they rested at Tortuga for the night, and if they continue to rest at different ports every few nights, we should have them soon."

"I don't want to get too far from Port Royal, but she must be brought home," Jonathan stated coldly, staring out to sea.

"We will do whatever we can, go as far as the West Indies if we have to, Sir!"

"Excellent attitude, Commedore, I will see to it that you and Victoria have a prompt matrimony when we return to Port Royal. After she is punished, of course."

"Oh, yes, Sir," the Commedore replied bluntly. "Of course."

---

"Oh…wow…look at the stars…aren't they just beeeeeeaaauutiful??!" Victoria drunkly pointed out.

"Um…yes, yes they're just lovely, but we really ought to get back to the ship miss," Anamaria grumbled politely as she half walked, half carried Victoria back to the ship.

She had tried to tell the little priss that she shouldn't have that much rum, but the spoiled brat didn't listen, and now here they were. Out in the street in the middle of early morning, stumbling to the Pearl like fools.

She was in for it, oh yes she was. Anamaria knew Elizabeth wouldn't tolarate such behavior, but hopeful Victoria's liver would tolerate the alchohol before they reached the ship. This was Anamaria's good shirt, she didn't want the remains of Victoria's lunch and dinner on it.

"Oh thank ya soooooooooo much Anamafria, this is soooooooooo nice of ya," Victoria chimed in randomly again.

"Yeah, yeah, you'll be thankin' me when they throw ya overboard!"

"Overboard??!?! Why, Jackkk wouldn't do that, would heee?" Victoria slurred again.

"Since when you be callin' the Captain Jack?" Anamaria asked, not expecting to get a logical answer.

"Well, because he-" Victoria stopped and stumped to an empty barrel, which she promply threw up in.

"And look who it is now," Anamaria sighed as she turned and saw Jack a little farther down the street. He was standing outside of a shabby tavern next to the bar Victoria and Anamaria had been in. There was a red-head standing near the door, talking to him. He flipped her a few gold coins, and she went back to the bar, as he turned on his heel and left. With a whore no doubt. He always picked one up in Tortuga, two or three if he was really lucky.

"Jack! Jack!!" Anamaria called out to him. He turned back around, surprised to see Anamaria running to him. She prayed that Victoria would stay by the same barrel she left her at.

---

Jack looked up to see Anamaria running wildly to him. Annoyed, he wanted to turn around and leave.

He had had a bad night. The rum at that new inn was disgusting. Gibbs was boring, not his usual, happy, funny self. He was just reminding him of Victoria because once he got her in his mind, she didn't go away for quite a while. Victoria was unnoticing of him at the inn. Scarlet had found him and wanted his attention, and he couldn't refuse. He was so drunk anyway, and he couldn't find Giselle, his favorite. Scarlet was awful. He didn't know what happened to her. Obviously a bad man, she wasn't that bad the last time he was with her. And he still had to pay her. She practically kicked him out the tavern they were in, too; he was hoping he could stay at least one night on land, and not look like a total fool leaving in the middle of the morning. How pitiable was that? And because of all this, he really didn't want to talk to Anamaria.

But if there was something wrong with the ship, and Anamaria was coming to tell him, he needed to know.

While contemplating these thoughts, Anamaria had approached him.

"Jack…" she said out of breath. "I need…your help…with Victoria,"

"Oh, why what's the trouble, luv? She get drunk or somethin' of the sorts?"

He chuckled, but seeing that Anamaria wasn't, he knew it was true. He sighed. "Where is she?"

"Down that alley," Anamaria pointed.

"My God woman, ya left her there alone?" He began to trot towards where she pointed.

"Well, I had to get you!" she called back at him.

He found Victoria after hunting in the darkness. She was slumped over a barrel, and her dress was ripped up to her knee. He knelt down to her, thankful that he wasn't still as drunk as she was. The feeling had worn off in the tavern. He checked her pulse to make sure her heart was still beating. God forbid. Her breathing was slow, but she was alive nonetheless. Anamaria was with him now.

I tried to drag her along, but she's too weak, and I'm not strong enough,"

"What? A woman of the sea, not strong enough?" Jack smiled, lightening the mood a little.

"Well, there's only one thing t' do," Jack said. He gathered Victoria in his arms, her head in the bend of his left arm, her feet over his right. "C'mon, lets get back," he noted.

"Thanks, Jack," Anamaria said.

"Not a problem, luv," he replied back to her.

She patted his shoulder, and followed behind him to the Pearl.

---

"All right, that's it, nice 'n slow now, don't bump 'er head," Gibbs instructed as Jack carried Victoria onto the ship. Anamaria followed close behind. She was thankful she found Jack. She wouldn't have been able to get Victoria to the ship by herself.

"I'll keep her in my cabin tonight," Anamaria offered.

"No, I'll keep 'er," Jack shot back.

"All right, fine," Anamaria replied defensively. She let Jack only because his arms were probably hurting from carrying Victoria back to the ship from halfway in town in Tortuga. She was grateful, and let him do what he wanted. He was a man. And because he was the Captian.

Seeing that Gibbs and Jack had Victoria covered, she left for the other half of the ship, where her quarters were. As she passed Will and Elizabeth's room, she thought of knocking and telling them the situation. But she knew that they had something planned for the night. She didn't want to disturb them. They'd find out first thing in the morning, anyway.

---

Elizabeth heard footsteps outside the cabin. Who could possibly be prowling about in the middle of the night? She wanted to wake Will up to check for her, but he looked very tired, and decided to let him rest.

She got up out of bed, careful not to wake her husband, and moved to the door, barely opening it enough to get a glimpse of the deck before her.

She couldn't see much, because to her left were the stairs to go below deck, in front of her was the huge center mast, and to her right were the steps that preceded to the helm.

Below the helm were the Captain's quarters.

She could have sworn she had seen Gibbs' portly form, and possibly Jack's surrounding the bend to enter his quarters.

Jack was carrying something as well. It looked a lot like…a body.

She was seeing things, it was the middle of the night, she shouldn't be worrying.

Elizabeth shrugged and shook off the feeling, deciding that going back to bed was best.

---

Gibbs headed to Jack's quarters first to open the door for him, Jack following. Gibbs helped Victoria onto Jack's bed, and they both stood there after a minute, watching her sleep.

"Take care of 'er, lad," Gibbs tutored, "she should be fine if you just let her sleep it off,"

"I know, I know," Jack said, "I've been in this same situation many a time, you know that. We're covered, 'ere, mate, thank ye again."

Gibbs smiled as he quietly left and shut the door.

Since Victoria had taken up his bed, he contemplated where he would sleep. The rouge side of him would say to share it with her, but the kind side said to just take the chair and watch her to make sure she didn't choke on vomit while she was sleeping or anything so. Since she was a lady he chose to follow his kind side.

He quietly pulled out his chair by his desk and slumped into it. He crossed his arms and watched her breathe, in and out, in and out.

The steady rise and fall of her chest and the lock of hair that fell from the complicated ringlet of curls that Elizabeth set on the top of her head made him smile. It was always the little things that he noticed and liked about women the most.

The moonlight steadily dropping from the window cast shadows on her body, he watched and counted the changes. It was if the moon wanted a chance to immortalize her beauty, too.

He had so much time to memorize all her features. He found more about Victoria by watching her than actually talking to her. There was a long scar on her inner arm, he wondered how she acquired it. And the birthmark on her collarbone. And the splinter in her foot. He thought of getting up to remove it, but didn't want to wake her.

Jack gave up when he admitted that he couldn't memorize her whole body. Letting his eyes close he drifted to sleep.