Chapter 6 - Docking in Tortuga

Louise woke up the next morning feeling groggy as ever, she just hoped she hadn't slept in again, although knowing her it was possible. She got up and attempted to brush her hair, which had become a feat, apparently life at sea was not great for hair, that's when she heard the floor creak below her, louder than usual, or maybe her hearing had improved. It was then that she realised they weren't moving anymore, she could still feel the steady rocking of water below her feet but there is a considerable difference between a moving ship and a still one. She then remembered, Jack had said they would reach Tortuga in the morning, maybe they had already docked. She had a mixture of excitement and apprehension, these hazy images of Tortuga from the film circled in her mind and she realised she didn't know what to expect, exactly how accurate was Disney anyway? That brought up other questions in her mind, where was she anyway, back in time or in the movie? What surprised her the most was she hadn't thought about it, not since her first day here. Louise was washed over with guilt, she hadn't thought about getting home or how to get home and it should have been her main concern, now all she cared about was comparing Tortuga to the film Tortuga. She was still deep in inner turmoil when Anamaria walked.

"Just docked in Tortuga" she said with a slight smile before she noticed Louise, head in hands apparently battling with something important.

Louise looked up and smiled "Thanks Ana" she forced a smile, it's not that she wasn't happy, it's just how happy could she be away from home? Apparently very happy, so content that she didn't think about home in days. She placed her head back in her hands.

"Captain's doing the shore leave now, I just came to get ya" Ana didn't quite know what to do she had never been one for comforting others, she gingerly placed a hand on her back but as she did Louise stood up and all sadness seemed to melt away.

"Well come on then" Louise walked from the room expecting Ana to follow her, which she did but only after wondering what the hell had just happened.

On deck Jack was indeed issuing shore leave to the crew and he decided he would issue Louise leave like the rest. He was nearly finished speaking when Louise and Ana finally joined them.

"Right so Cotton, Jones and Marty you're on watch tonight?"

There were two reluctant replies of "Aye" from within the small crowd and the familiar sound of a parrot, "Wind in yer Sails".

Jack nodded and the crew happily lead themselves down the gangplank and into Tortuga, it wasn't quite noon yet but no doubt they would amuse themselves until Tortuga really came alive tonight. Other than the three on watch a few other crew members decided to stay on board and play cards until night came and Ana was one of them, Louise stayed only because she really had no idea of where to go in Tortuga but she used the excuse about there being enough people onboard to cook for. Jack, sauntered down the gangplank after his crew ready to fill his face in the delights of Tortuga, no man in the world appreciated Tortuga quite like Jack Sparrow.

The day passed in the usual way for those still on board, playing cards, drinking, Louise served lunch and joined them for a game of cards after they had eaten. She had always had a knack for cards, it was one of her more useful skills. She could read poker tells with the best of them and quickly saw that Ana would absent mind-idly scratch her shoulder when she had a good hand. Smiling to herself she watched for the other crew members tells and saw that not one of them had a good hand, but a burly man called Hague was doing a good job of bluffing. Ana had leant Louise some money to bet with and Louise grinned from ear to ear.

"I'll raise you everything I've got" she pushed the last few coins into the middle.

Ana snapped a sideways glance at Louise before folding and leaning over "Ye sure ye wanna be betting like that with my money".

Louise remained silent and kept her eyes on Hague the last man still standing as it were. He looked back at her with a steely glare, obviously trying to read her, "Aye I'll see that" he replied throwing the same amount of coins into the now considerable pile. Ana's eyebrow couldn't have raised any higher if it tried and she began silently saying goodbye to her money. Hague put his cards down and revealed 3 of a kind. He smiled obviously thinking he had won but that was when Louise flashed a straight, the look on his face could not have been anything less than shock, with a little anger.

"You cheated" he huffed, folding his arms across his chest stubbornly.

"No, I'm just really, really" she reached out for her winnings "good" she finished throwing him a arrogant grin. Handing Ana back the money she had lent her, Louise now had a fair amount. Placing it in her pocket she laughed "Well I'll watch this game I think" and she sat back and watched as Hague seemed more enthusiastic to play now she wasn't in the game.

Later in the day and Ana got up from her seat, "Well gents, I think I'm gonna go find me self a bar and maybe a new game", the other men nodded in agreement as those on watch just dealt out another round. Ana kicked Louise in the shin, as she was now leaning back with her eyes closed.

"Ow! Thanks for that, you could have just poked me or something", Ana just smiled back at her.

"My way was more fun".

Louise got up and stretched her legs, "You're only upset because I beat you".

"No" Ana replied, "I'm upset I didn't get a chance to play you again".

Louise looked inquisitively at the now dark sky "You going ashore?"

"Aye and you're coming with me" Ana began to make her way to the gangplank.

"Bars filed with rum? You don't have to ask me twice" Louise replied following Ana into the now rowdy town of Tortuga.

Meanwhile in the back of a tavern Jack was already enjoying the delicacies of Tortuga, rum and plenty of it.

"Care for some company captain?", he looked up to see a pretty young wench smiling at him with a mug of rum in her hand. She was pretty in the face and could wear less make up than the rest, she wore a deep red dress and her blonde hair her atop her head in ringlets.

He grinned flashing gold teeth, "How much would that company cost luv?"

"5 Shillings captain".

He nodded "Aye lass, but call me Jack"

She smiled obviously happy to have a chance with the infamous Jack Sparrow, every girl in Tortuga knew of him, and the fact that she would earn a nights wage made it even better, many whores claim they would spend the night with Sparrow free of charge. He took the rum from her as she made herself comfortable on his lap, there really was no place like Tortuga.

Ana had since found a table in one of the quieter bars, there were still bar brawls, whores and drunken idiots but it was still quieter than some of the others. Louise took a seat next to her, really quite taken aback by the whole place. She had been to bars before but never like this, there were men starting fights over nothing, women were scanning the bar looking for their next paying customers, it was all so obvious and brash. Not that Louise considered herself of high class but this atmosphere was new to her, even after being on a pirate ship. Ana went and ordered 2 mugs of rum at the bar and coming back she was amused by the look on Louise's face, she had the wide eyes of a child but the furrowed brow of disapproval.

"Nice, isn't it?"

Louise looked at her and caught on that this wasn't Ana's favorite place in the world either, "Yeah really...unique" she smiled.

Louise was becoming steadily at ease with the atmosphere and the rum in her hand was helping. Quickly enough one of the fights across the room had taken a turn for the worse and one man stood with a knife against his throat. Both Louise and Ana however had started a new game of cards with 2 men Ana seemed to know, it still amazed Louise however that not many people seemed to notice or care that one man stood inches from death. Getting her head back into the game she found it easier to ignore when concentrating on winning. She lost a few games at first but quickly got herself back on track when she figured out the man opposite her coughed when he was bluffing.

A few games later and Louise was back on her winning streak "It looks like I win again" she heard one of the newcomers mumble something about cheating and Ana put forth her opinion.

"She's not cheatin' I've been watching her, but I would like to know how she does it".

Louise smiled, "Woah, we are all getting a little suspicious aren't we? Maybe I'm just really lucky".

It was then that Ana abruptly stood up, "Louise it's time we left".

Louise pouted like a small child "But I'm winning and I'm sure these men have much more money for me to win". Ana looked down at her with a look that screamed 'just do as I say!' and Louise got the message. "Ok, ok I'm coming".

"Good, come on", Louise didn't even notice the 3 men Ana was staring at as they moved across the bar. But she did however notice she had forgotten her winnings from the last game.

"Hang on, can't forget my winnings".

Ana seemed edgy and so Louise hurried to the table but as Ana saw one of the men make his way over to her she shouted "Forget it, just come on", she grabbed Louise's arm and hurried for the door but as she got there it was blocked by a large man who could only be described as scary.

He grinned devilishly down at Ana, "Well, well, well if it isn't Anamaria, long time since I saw ye last Ana"

Ana seemed nervous and Louise couldn't figure out why, usually it was the men who were afraid of her, but then again this man cast a shadow over her and his 2 'friends' weren't to be sniffed at.

"Ahh Harold my old friend, how 'ave you been?" she was trying to weasel her way out and he wasn't having any of it.

"I hope you've got the money you owe me Ana" he said through gritted teeth, then had grabbed her by the waist, "or ye could pay me back some other way" his greasy hands pulled her towards him.

She shoved him away "I've got it, I've got it ye brute" she reached into her pocket. His eyes lit up like someone about about to receive a large present he waited eagerly as Ana stalled. Then without warning she kicked him in the groin with all of her power. His face contorted to one of pain as he doubled over and fell to the floor. Louise had no time to think as Ana grabbed her and ran.

Harold screamed "get after her!", and that was the cue for his friends to chase them and for Ana and Louise to run faster. Trying her best to keep up with Ana she shouted "What was that about?".

Without daring to look round she replied "Not now!". Louise however did look around and the men were quickly gaining on them.

Not having time to think it through she yelled "Ana split up, it'll be harder for them to catch us".

"Meet you at the pearl" was the last thing Louise heard before Ana surprised her with a exit down a back street to the left, she apparently surprised the guy chasing her too as he had to double back to follow her after running right past it. Now she just had a large angry man chasing her, she had no idea where she was going, and only a vague idea of how to get back to the docks. In retrospect thinking the 'split up' plan through a little more might have helped, but it was too late now.

She continued down the street trying to make up her mind, risk it in another bar? or take her chance on the back streets? She was about to take her chances in the next bar when a hand grabbed her into an alleyway, she struggled against the strong arms, one holding her in place the other over her mouth stopping her from screaming. She had been pulled into a small dark alleyway and could just about see the street, she saw the man who had been chasing her look around confused. After a few moments of looking around he apparently gave up and returned back the other way. But now Louise had a bigger problem, the man currently holding her hostage. She continued to struggle and surprisingly he let her go. She backed up against the opposite wall only to be looking at the face of Danny. It was only Danny, the initial panic melted away to be replace by anger so she did the only thing she thought of. She raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face.

"Don't you ever do that again" she seethed.

He rubbed his cheek and chuckled, which made her even more angry, "What save your life?" she stopped with her hand in mid air apparently ready to slap him again, realising what he had done. She instantly regretted slapping him the first time.

"Yes, don't ever save my life again" she was trying to act serious but she couldn't help the slight grin on her face, "or you'll get another slap".

He smiled back at her "Aye, and I don't want another of those". She cautiously stuck her head out of the alley, he had gone, she only hoped Ana was alright.

"So Louise care to tell me why you're running for your life?" she had after-all only been in Tortuga half a day.

"There was a misunderstanding in the bar...seems Ana owes someone money but she preferred to give him a beating" he laughed at this, she was confused, was this situation funny? It still meant her and Ana were being chased and it didn't seem to be a amount Ana wanted to pay. He answered at her confused expression "everyone seems to owe money these days, just seems funny you get caught up in it on your first night ashore".

"Yeah that's real funny, I should get my life threatened more often" she retaliated. After realising what could have happened had she been caught she really didn't see the funny side.

He looked apologetic and held up his hands in surrender, "didn't mean anything by it".

"Well if your so bent on saving people tonight maybe you can save me getting lost and take me back to the pearl?", she wanted to check Ana was ok, and maybe get some sleep.

"Aye, that I'll about do" he led the way out of the alley and offered his arm to her, which she took without hesitating, she felt a little worse for wear after the run and the rum she had consumed earlier didn't help. But then again maybe it was just the fact that she had left a considerable amount of winnings on the table in the bar.

--Authors Notes--

Hey guys.

Thanks again for your reviews. And sorry for those of you who don't like the story. I will try to take on your advice about Jack's character and you are right, he is a brilliant pirate and I shouldn't forget that. I'm sorry you didn't like my writing though and I'm sorry you won't be reading anymore. Other than that thanks to the readers who have enjoyed this so far, I am enjoying writing it. Must dash now though and hope you like the chapter. Let me know.