'P' IS FOR PIRATE
By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala

CHAPTER 4

"Keepin' that sharp eye, mate?"

"Trying."

"Well, keep keepin' it. I'll be right back." Jack told his young companion.

Gibbs had left to start gathering a crew and for now Jack disappeared into the crowd, heading for the back way of the Faithful Bride tavern.

Will watched after the pirate suspiciously, but eventually and reluctantly sat down at the end of the bar, ordering a drink and went on minding his own business. The majority of the brawling had died down and only when someone appeared out of nowhere left of him, did he risk another look elsewhere besides straight ahead over the bar counter.

A woman, not much older than he, if at all, was in his view. But she was nothing like the other women of Tortuga, not like the ones Jack knew anyway.

Her skin shown a medium tan in the firelight, most likely from hard work outside or much traveling by ship. Her semi-curly, golden brown hair hung down in a ponytail just between her shoulder blades, a strip of cloth holding it all together. She wore an off-white linen shirt with a brown lace-up vest, lighter brown pants, deep brown half-thigh boots folded to her knees, a leather belt with a gleaming cutlass at her right hip, and lastly, a pistol holster on the outside of her left thigh.

Even though she looked a proper pretty lady in the face, with one look, her demeanor and the way she was dressed, one could tell for certainty that she was a pirate. No doubt about it. But what really struck Will about her, was how clean she appeared and that her clothes looked almost brand new.

She too ordered herself a drink, but stood instead of sitting, as if she were in a hurry. "Have you by chance seen Jack Sparrow around as of late?" She spoke loud enough above the noise of the tavern to the burley bartender.

"Yeah, you just missed him!" He called back.

She nodded her thanks and gulped the last drink of her wine, slapping down a few coins and rounding to leave.

"How do you know Jack Sparrow?" A soft, curious voice floated to her ears.

She stopped and turned slowly back to find that the man that had been sitting next to her had spoken up. And for the first time, she too noticed his age similarity. "Let us just say, I once looked up to the man." For a brief moment she stared him hard in the face. "You do look just like your father, you know." This latter part was said more quietly and with well meaning.

"You knew my father too?" He wasn't much surprised, for if she knew Jack Sparrow it meant she probably knew Bootstrap Bill Turner.

"I did. A great man he was."

Will went back to the original subject. He didn't really want to talk about his father right now, not after hearing the truth. "But why are you looking for Jack?"

"If you must know, I have some unfinished business with him. You did know there was a reward out for his capture or kill, didn't you? Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be getting back to my ship." She went to leave again, but was grabbed by the upper arm, being forced to turn and face the younger man once again.

"You can't go after him! I need him! He knows...!"

"Where the Black Pearl is?" She smiled wryly. "Don't worry so much, I promise that's not what I'm here for. Pirate, if that's how you see me, or not, I am a woman of my word, Mr. Turner. And for yours and Miss Swan's sake, I wouldn't dream of harming a hair on his 'bountiful' head."

Will wasn't entirely satisfied with this. Obviously she knew what was going on, but pirates had their ways, as this was exactly how he saw her, so she was not to be trusted just as any other.

"Good day," She bid, jerking her arm away as he loosened his hold. Sighing, she left the tavern behind and headed for the docks. Walking up the gangplank onto the hull of her ship, she reached down to take it away, when who should she see out of the corner of her eye, casually lounging on the main mast's lowest boom.

"Well, if it isn't ole Iron Roberts! Long time no see! Last time I saw you, you were yay high and leaving me behind on the Pearl. My, you have grown too. May I ask what you're doing all the way out here managing a boat all by yourself, especially in Tortuga? No crew, no cargo, no...nothing..." Said Jack, looking around its deck.

It was mostly empty, aside from a few barrels and trunks, and some supplies lying here and there. The ship itself almost looked brand new, just like Charity's clothes and weapons did. He briefly wondered to himself if any of it was stolen, if she still pillaged and plundered like his crew had taught her to do.

"No, you may not. What I do is none of your business, Sparrow." She spat, glaring at him.

"Well, in that case...I'd like to make it my business."

She sighed again, more heavily. "And what is that suppose to mean?"

Jumping off the pole, he landed easily on his feet.

But as quick as a flash of lightning, Charity's cutlass was drawn and its tip rested again his chest.

His eyes grew slightly and he held up his hands to show he was not there to pick a fight. "Come on, Charity, we've known each other, what? Fifteen years now? But I bet you're only here because you were on the lookout for me. There's a price on my head, isn't there? How much, eh? How much is it that you're willing to kill an old friend for?"

"Friend?!" She blurted, astonished. "We've only really known one another five years and in that time you were my captain, not my friend! I think you've rather got it coming to you! You're heartless and insane! How long were you on that island before it became official, eh? It's your fault for where I am today; both of my parents died in that raid because of you and your crew! William Turner was my only friend. After Barbossa took over, he helped me escape just before he cursed them all. Bootstrap was right in what he did...at the time. And now they need his son, but they just don't know it."

"What are you saying?"

"Right now, they think he had a daughter. They think Miss Swann is really Miss Turner and they plan to use her to escape their 'plague', but of course we know it won't work without Will's blood."

"How do you know all this?" He asked, eyeing her.

She snorted and lowered her weapon. "I was there in Port Royal a few days ago, for I heard you were alive and had taken a job that led me there. I was staying in town and I saw the Pearl arrive, so I rowed out to it and eavesdropped on their conversation with Elizabeth. And the next day, I was watching when you and Will first stole the Dauntless and then the Interceptor. I've been following you ever since! What? Even the great Captain Jack Sparrow hadn't had it figured out already? Or are you losing your touch?"

Jack frowned. "Even though I am...was...still am...captain of the Black Pearl, I never meant for what happened. And I'm sorry, for what it's worth."

It took her a second to realize if 'sorry' was really the word that had just come out of his mouth. "Y-you're sorry?! Sorry for ruining my entire life?! I barely remember my parents and I was given no choice, but the life of piracy for it was all I really knew! I was only six then, Jack..."

"I know," He admitted, true remorse in his tone. "But it was not my doing. Barbossa, he inisis..."

"It's always Barbossa! He's always your excuse!" She yelled, stepping forward to press the blade toward him again.

"Well, he did take over my ship and leave me for dead..."

They continued to argue, while nearby a figure went completely undetected by either of them.

Will lurked in the growing shadows of various boat sides. He'd followed the woman outside and now knew how she came to be wanting the bounty over Jack.

Even though she basically was a pirate herself, she obviously despised them as much as he did. Perhaps she was going to turn out an all right person and maybe even help them if she herself had been a crew member of the Black Pearl, but he needed to talk with her in private.

"Listen to me! I am no longer after you. Not after what I saw what you and Will are trying to do. I respect Miss Swan and would see her rescued and Barbossa and his crew destroyed. That is why I will allow you to continue to breathe." So much anger was built up in her over the years at this man. For even though he had been pressured by his first mate, he was still the one who'd given the orders and therefore was responsible for taking away the life she could have had. "I'm only going to help you for Will's and Elizabeth's well being, alright? It's the least I can do for Bill, to protect his son. I know what he must be going through, finding out the secret his parents kept from him. I know what it's like having to grow up around pirates and as basically one yourself. I'm going on twenty-two and I would start over...be what I should have turned out to be in the first place, but I wouldn't know how."

"I told you I was sorry. I wish you could believe..."

"Believe you?! Jack Sparrow apologizing to someone?!" At this, she laughed loudly.

Jack only glared back. He found nothing funny in an apology that he meant, but maybe she just didn't deserve it after all.

Charty's laughed ended in a sarcastic smile. "Not a chance."

"Well fine, but there's just one thing I want to know." His eyes darted around the decks again, as he asked this. "How did you get a boat...and everything?" He gestured toward her clothes and weapons.

If looks could kill, Jack would have dropped dead right there on the main deck, thought Will, finally getting them both into view.

"Don't think a woman can get by on her own?" She looked completely insulted. "Again, if you must know, at fifteen I was hired on at a monopolistic, chartered trading company, and have saved over the years. The ship is for work. I'm not a thief, if that's what you were implying."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I wasn't implying anything." Jack raised his brows in innocence, though he was quick to add, "What about the ring?"

Down she looked at the shining silver ring on her left hand, with a heart shaped ruby and small surrounding diamonds, as if she had forgotten it was there. "It was my mother's. Pintel stole it from her right after he killed her. At the time, I didn't know, but a couple years later I stole it back and he never missed it. So, I'm still not a thief." Charity didn't continue, in fact she was utterly still; eyes slightly squinted and soon fixated on the far right railing of the right upper deck. Quicker than any bullet, she reached for her dagger in her right boot and threw it at one of the thick railing pegs.

Jack looked back and now pressed his raised brows together.

They heard a gasp as the knife plunged deep into the wood and a small thump as something hit the ship's side.

Charity raced over, sword at the ready; to see whose hands she had seen around two of the pegs.

Jack followed closely, his pistol drawn.

Both peered over the railing. "Will?!" They said in unison.

With one hand, Will was desperately trying to hold onto the bottom ledge of the railing. He had climbed up there to get his 'better view' and when the blade had made its mark right next to a finger, he'd let go from being startled.

Charity reached down to lend her own hand. "Come on, Turner, I don't feel like going for a night swim to rescue you!"

Once half over, Jack helped him on board the rest of the way and Charity rocked her knife back and forth out of the tight wooden fibers.

Will smiled sheepishly. "Sorry." He muttered.

Jack smiled, while Charity raised an eyebrow. "If there was something you wanted to know, you could have just asked to come aboard, since Jack here's already made himself at home. I have nothing to hide."

"I just wanted to know why you were after him. And why you knew my father."

"Have you two met before?" Jack waved a pointing finger between them.

"In the tavern," Replied the blacksmith.

"So, now you know it all, right? I don't have to repeat myself?"

Will shook his head.

"What are you going tell your boss about that gash in the wood?" The rogue pirate wondered aloud, peering over his shoulder at it.

"That I was attacked." She replied simply, shrugging. "We get raided quite a bit in this business, but he's a good friend and won't take it out of my pay since it's nothing serious. Sorry about that, Will, I get a little jumpy on this...god forsaken island." She held out her left hand.

The younger man hesitated only for a bit; then took her offered hand with his right.

"'Iron' Charity Roberts, as they used to call me." She introduced herself with the nickname she had been given on the Black Pearl; one that she herself had never told anyone else until now, though a few souls still knew it by other ways.

"As some still call you." Jack corrected.

"Do they now? And how do you know?" She turned on him with a look that told him he had better come up with a good explanation.

"I've been around...and I just hear things..."

"Oh no, you were checkin' up on me! Well, I don't care, Jack. I'm not like you, not anymore. I'm just a lonely, young woman sailing all by herself on the high seas of the Spanish Main. But not that you would care that I could still be happily living in Morant Bay with my loving family..."

"Don't go makin' it into somethin' it's not, Roberts! It was different then. I'll admit that I'm not exactly proud of what happened." He was serious for the moment, but then his mood changed as it usually did. "But hey, I know why you really went to Port Royal to find me, because deep down you really like me, doncha?" His grin was devilish, as he leaned toward her and tipped his head sideways, raising his brows once more.

Charity rolled her eyes and made a noise of disgust, turning to storm off toward the captain's quarters.

Will stared at him, as the man only shrugged. "Ye can't win'im all." With that, he left for the Interceptor to get some sleep.

And the blacksmith took this as a chance to talk to the woman alone.

TBC ...

mirkwood-elf-2931 :
Hey, this turned out to be a long chapter too! Sorry these chapters aren't posted as often as usual though. And yeah, I know I'm being hard on Jack...but he kinda deserves it. ;) That's why Charity keeps going on like she's wallowing in self pity about the past and future she could have had, cuz' she wants Jack to feel sorry, even if it wasn't something entirely his fault, cuz' he did have some part in it after all.
Oh and welcome, endoreo vende! Haven't seen you review before, but we're always glad to see a newcomer...so thanks a bunch for your input!