AN: My Muse is back! I picked up the Visual Guide and the junior novelization to Dead Man's Chest. Definitely worth a read for all you diehards out there. Three more weeks!

I'm in the process of revamping this a bit. I'm only changing a few minor details, ie. How Jack and Evelyn get the Pearl, etc. to fit in better with Dead Man's Chest. I've also done some editing.

This story contains SPOILERS! If you don't want to be spoiled, then wait until you've seen the movie, and then read it, okay? Okay!

Every Rose Has It's Thorns

Chapter Three: In Tortuga

A few days later in Tortuga:

The Faithful Bride was full of excitement. Wenches brought drinks to the tavern's buccaneer patrons whilst some of the drunker customers fought with one another over this and that. To a pirate, of course, disorder was a thing of normalcy.

"Let me get this straight, mate," Bill Turner said over his rum, " Ye want me to take care of the brat ye adopted?"

"Right!" Porthos said, "I knew you wouldn't have a problem with it!"

Bootstrap laughed at his colleague, "You're insane, mate! Ye 'onestly think that a little girl the age of thirteen is going to be able to survive on a ship fer months at sea?"

"It's just until she figures out that it's not so easy to do," Porthos said, "You don't think that I'd actually want her out there with you scallywags do you?"

"No," Bootstrap replied, "But ye 'ave done some pretty strange things in yer past."

Porthos glared at his friend, then smiled. "You know me too well, Bill." He glanced behind Bill and saw a young man watching their table. "Who's the boy?" He asked.

"Aye, the boy," Bootstrap said, "He's the new Cabin Boy aboard the ship I'm on. Smart one 'e is. Guaranteed ter be Captain some day." He glanced over his shoulder to the lanky, dark haired, tanned, figure. "Jack, me boy, c'mere. I want ye ter meet a friend o'mine." The young man walked a few paces over to the table and sat down at an empty seat. "Jack, this 'ere's Porthos. The pirate and Musketeer, from Paris."

"Pleased ter meet ye sir," Jack answered. He shook Porthos' hand.

"Porthos, this is Jack Sparrow." Bootstrap said.

Out on the docks near Porthos' ship, Evelyn waited for her papa to come out of the tavern. Dartagnon had been told to watch her while the others attended to business.

"So," Dartagnon started, "How long have you been Porthos' daughter?"

Evelyn rolled her eyes, "Since I was five," she replied.

"And you're how old, now?" Dartagnon asked.

"Thirteen." Evelyn answered. At that Porthos appeared at the entrance to the docks followed by two other men. "Papa!" Evelyn shouted and ran towards Porthos.

"Good. You're safe. Now I don't need to worry about where I'd of had to bury Dartagnon." Porthos said as he gave Evelyn a hug when she reached him. "Evy, I have some good news for you," Porthos told her, "This here is Bootstrap Bill Turner. He's a friend of mine. He's had a talk with the captain of his ship and he's agreed to take you on as a crew member." Evelyn's face lit up with a smile. "Now, you behave yourself and listen to old Bill."

"I will, papa I promise! This is the most exciting thing in the world! Thank you, papa!" Evelyn said.

Evelyn gave Porthos a hug and a kiss goodbye. She then followed Bootstrap and the other young man onto a large ship. Once aboard she turned to the young man that had accompanied Bootstrap. "So, what exactly do you do on this ship?" She asked the boy.

"I'm Cabin Boy." The young man answered.

"What's your name?" Evelyn asked, curiously.

"Jack. Jack Sparrow." He answered.

"Well, Mr. Sparrow," She said, "I'm Evelyn Rose." The two shook hands.

Evelyn had hoped that since Jack was closest to her in age that the two would become fast friends. However, she was mistaken.

"Lemme go!" Evelyn shouted at the boy who held her wrist during the latest attack of The Proteus, their ship.

"No!" Jack yelled, "The captain and Bill told me to keep you down 'ere!"

"But I want to see the attack!" Evelyn begged.

"It's too dangerous for a young priss such as yerself ta be up top during an attack." Jack said. "Why anyone wanted ye on board is beyond me. Bloody useless ye are."

For weeks now he had been teasing her and ridiculing her for her upbringing. He had called her everything from a landlubber to a aristocratic spoiled brat. She hated him. He was just like the girls at her school. Except when he poked fun at her, it seemed to hurt much more.

She glared at her captor. "I hate you! All you've done since I've come aboard this ship is tell me how weak and incapable I am at being a part of this crew, just because I grew up on the land! Need I remind you, that not only was I born at sea, that my father told me everything I've ever needed to know about how to work aboard a ship, or are you just too stubborn to admit that someone might be just as smart as you, Mr. Sparrow?"

Jack was shocked. A thirteen year old girl had just reprimanded him about his attitude. At that moment, he doubted that anyone had ever spoken to him that way before. He had to give this girl some credit. She proved to be a lot braver than he had assumed she was.

"Ye were born at sea?" She nodded. "Me too." He smiled. "Look, luv," Jack said, turning her by the shoulders to look her in the eyes, "I'm sorry about the way I've been treatin' ye, but ye 'ave ter stay down 'ere. It's not safe up there! I don't even want ter be up there."

Evelyn looked at Jack. "Alright. You win. I'll stay down here. As long as you stay with me." She said and smiled.

"Trus' me luv," Jack said, "I won't go anywhere." The two sat in the hold and waited for the last cannon to be shot and the sound of cheers to come from top deck, signaling victory.

AN: Please tell me what you think whether you're a first time reader, or just rereading for the changes!