AN: Thanks to all my reviewers! It really gets me motivated to write more. So Imcoolerthanyou, you think I should make this a Jack romance? (strokes chin and ponders) Hmm interesting...I'll deff. consider that! But now Norma Jean the Dancing Machine wants a Nagel romance...I really don't know who to make this a romance with...so many hot guys on that ship lol. Anyway, onto chapter 5!

"Miss Conners, could you please step aside?" Jack asked politely, as Leah scrambled to get out of the way of two crewmen carrying parts to repair the mast.

"Sorry sir. Just trying to familiarize my way around the ship." Leah grinned and watched the crew at work. She could tell the Captain was excited about the Acheron model. His eyes had a glow to them, and there was an extra hitch in his giddyup. His good mood was contagious, and Leah couldn't help but smile. The fact that she had been given more to eat helped too.

"It's alright, just be more careful. Wouldn't want anything to happen to you." He smiled at her. "Mr. Allen?"

"Aye, sir?"

"A word please? Excuse me." He went off with Allen and Leah was left alone once more. She sighed, stuffed the rest of the bread she was given into her mouth, and went exploring.

They had weighed anchor to repair the damaged ship from the Acheron's attack. She was watching all the men, some with shirts on, some without...some that she wished would never take off any article of clothing, all working. Chopping wood, repainting. Leah walked over to the side of the ship and leaned. Looking out she could she they were stationed by lush land. She knew soon the inhabitants would be trading with the members of the ship.

"Hey! Hey Miss!" Leah whirled to see Joseph Nagel; carpenter's mate, and his friend Will Warley; captain of the mizzen stroll up beside her. "Not lost are you?"

" 'Fraid so," she grinned, glad at least someone was paying attention to her. "What's with all the fixer-uppers? Does your manliness just make you guys want to repair things all of the sudden?" She knew if they knew she knew (wow confusing!) about the Acheron, they'd think it mighty suspicious.

"Nah," Nagel grinned as well. "We just got beaten badly by a French ship. Came out of nowhere from the fog yesterday, right before we found you. The men are calling her the Phantom. I'm Joseph Nagel, you can call me Joe. And this here"-he pointed to the blonde-"Is my friend Will."

Leah pondered, thinking of a different "Phantom" and sighing wistfully; images of Gerard Butler filling her head. "Well that blows. I'm Leah Conners by the way, just call me Leah, none of that "Miss" stuff okay?"

Warley and Nagel exchanged confused looks and Leah had to laugh at them. "Nevermind. I'll catch you guys later, okay?" She wanted to see a familiar face. Stephen. They nodded and went off their separate ways and Leah ran ran down to the lower deck. She headed toward the sickberth and found many men laying in hammocks, blood soaking their bandages. There was a rancid stench in the air, and Leah forced down the impulse to hold her nose. She found Will Blakeney; his freshly amputated arm bandaged. He was concentrating on the book Leah knew Jack had given him to read about Lord Nelson.

Leah cleared her throat. "Hey." The boy looked up suddenly at the female voice.

"Hello," he said cheerfully, if not a bit confused.

"I'm Leah Conners," Wow so many introductions today. "I was found yesterday...apparently." She hated babbling when she was nervous. Blakeney seemed to sense her discomfort with his missing arm, and he grew embarrassed and slightly angry by it, though he knew it wasn't her fault.

"I got hurt yesterday in battle," Will explained.

"That sucks," Leah simpered. Will simply shrugged. "You should get a medal or something." Here we go again with the babbling. But Will grinned.

"The Captain gave me this book," he showed it to her.

"Whoop-dee-do! You can't pin a book on your chest and bring it home to your family." Leah thought hard. "Well i assume you could..." Will laughed at this and Leah felt better. She ruffled his hair, glad to know they were getting along. "You take care kid okay? I'm gonna go find the Doctor."

"Thanks Miss," Will went back to his book, smiling.

Walking further back, Leah found Stephen's office. She found him bent over a microscope. Surprise, surprise, Leah thought dryly. She snuck up behind him and gave his shoulder a tap. He jumped and she laughed.

"Miss Conners," Stephen's hand instantly went to his heart. "You startled me."

"Heh. Sorry about that. What are you looking at?" He waited a second for his heart beat to get under control before explaining.

"I took a sample of the men's grog and placed it on this coverglass. Look-" he allowed her access to the microscope. She could see little things swimming around in the liquid. Leah wrinkled her nose. "Amazing isn't it?"

"And the men drink that?"

"I've been trying to make Jack understand that it'd be better to tip the grog over the side. He's deaf to that suggestion though I'm afraid." Leah grinned.

"Yea I'm sure that over a hundred men wouldn't be too happy about working their asses off all day and not having any form of strong alcohol to drown in." Stephen gave her a "look" and she tried to look as innocent as possible.

"One day you'll see I'm correct. What are you doing down here anyway?"

A shrug. "Bored I guess." He went back to his microscope and she spun around on one foot humming the oscar mayer weiner song unconsciously. "Ew, what's that?" Stephen spun around to see what she was pointing to.

"Fascinating!" He pulled on his glasses and peered closer at the table. "A very curious looking beetle..."

SPLAT!

"He'll thank me later for putting him out of his misery," Leah had squashed the beetle with one of Maturin's anatomy books. Off his furiated look she said," Oh. Sorry, were you saving it?" She turned the book over. "Hmm...he's still kind of in one piece. Um..," she scraped it off with the corner of the counter. "There you go! Good as new!" Stephen continued to glare at her. "I think I hear the Captain calling me!" She hurried out of his office laughing inwardly. Back on the quarterdeck, she saw natives rowing on canoes bringing all sorts of items: chickens, exotic parrots and monkeys, fruits, vegetables. Some with weopons. The women had with them adorable looking little fancy umbrellas to shield their skin from the sun. Most of the men however were barely dressed. She spotted Jack immediately. He was standing with Lt. Tom Pullings. They were both talking in low voices.

"Hey!" She called. They both turned to look at her and she waved emphatically before walking up to greet them. Normally she was never this social, especially around strangers. Must be the wine, she thought. Jack nodded.

"Miss Conners. I wondered where you ran off to." Leah smiled.

"Sorry, had to annoy your friend Stephen for awhile." Jack laughed, his eyes filled with mirth.

"And now I suppose it's my turn, eh?"

"Pretty much yea."

Tom Pullings smiled hesitantly. Word had passed along the ship of her origin and her name. Yet he couldn't name one lady he knew of that acted in this manner. The Captain and most of the crew seemed comfortable with her however. Stephen soon joined them, and the crew was bustling with the men anxious for the exchange of goods. Naturally Leah in her boredom, took a stroll around the ship; timing how long it would take her to walk from one end to the other. By the time she came back to Jack, Stephen, Tom, and Mowett however, she had forgotten.

Stephen was translating what one of the men in the canoes was saying to them about spotting the French. Hollom hurried forward, cutting through to deliver a package filled with letters they all had written destined for England. Leah watched amused while some of the crew were trying to butter up to some of the beautiful women that had come along. She rolled her eyes. Men.

"Mr. Hollar?" Pullings shouted over all the noise.

"Aye?"

"Let us complete our buisness here." And with that, Tom walked off. Leah could hear Hollar shouting. She kept her eyes on Jack. He had caught the gaze of one of the beautiful women, and was returning it.

"Put that woman down Slate! This is a ship of His Majesty's navy, not a floating bordello!" Mr. Hollar's voice broke the Captain's trance. He smiled once at the girl and started to walk away. Leah stopped him.

"I saw that you know." She couldn't help but smirk, and could've sworn she saw Jack blush.

"Saw what?"

"You. Checking out that girl."

Jack cleared his throat but smiled. "Am I not allowed to look at attractive women?"

"Not unless you want me on your back, teasing you about it." Leah smiled and walked away with him.

"Should've had Stephen ask if any of the women had spare dresses for you."

"Dresses? Oh no, I don't do dresses. Nuh-uh."

"Come now Miss Conners. It isn't right for a woman to be dressed the way you are."

"And how is that?" She was afraid an arguement like this would occur. No way they were forcing her into a dress.

"Well...prococatively," Jack was becoming uncomfortable now, eyeing her tight ripped pants that hung off her hips. " It's like throwing a steak at a starving man. Or in this case, men."

Leah blushed and could tell he was blushing too. "Come on Captain, I know you think I look gorgeous like this."

"What?" Jack practically yelped. "I don't think you're gorgeous."

"You think I'm goooorgeous!" Leah sang teasingly. " You want to huuuug me, you want to kiiiiiss me, you want to-"she couldn't finish the rest of the lines, laughing too hard. She had wanted to say that to someone ever since she had seen Miss Congeniality, and felt that this situation was completely appropriate for it. The Captain, if he could, blushed a deeper crimson. She almost felt bad for him. "Relax, I'm just kidding. You need to loosen up more." He gave her a wary look, but smiled despite himself.

"Wash up, Miss Conners. You're invited to dine with the officers and myself tonight. Although I daresay you have had much to eat already."

"Yea, what can I say? I have a high metabolism."

"Indeed." Folding his map, Jack walked off while Leah searched for a basin of clean water.

Ah, the ship life, she thought almost wistfully. Let's see how dinner goes...

AN: ten reviews! I'm soo happy! (eyes shine with tears of joy) anyway! sorry for the miss congeniality bit, but i've always wanted to put that in a fanfic heehee! review and tell me what you think! personally not my best with this chapter, but i really wanted to post one up. (shrugs) if there's anything i can improve, or if anyone has suggestions i'm open to hear them. thanks everyone!