Chapter 2: Drink Up, Me Hearties

Joshamee Gibbs hung from the ropes, leaning out to see ahead. He could see nothing but fair seas. The air smelled clean and salty-no trace of a storm coming. He smiled as he remembered the events of the past few days, including the fun he'd had with the Navy ship Interceptor. He remembered back when he was in the Navy, and some other things as he took a swig from his canteen.

Seaman Joshamee Gibbs was drunk. And he knew it, too. His latest girl had abandoned him for some pirate, and he'd gotten smacked up in a bar fight he'd started to get said pirate. Not a great night by his standards.

So he sat in the mud, drinking as he always did, until an officer came up to him.

"Great, sir. Here to bust me, are you?"

The officer looked down at him for a moment, then knelt and took the bottle from his hand. Taking a swig himself, the officer looked at Gibbs. "Got a name, sailor?"

"Gibbs. Seaman Joshamee Gibbs." He turned to the officer, and said, "Who're you?"

The man extended a hand. "Roberts. Commander Louis Roberts. So what's your excuse?"

"My excuse?" Gibbs said as Louis released his hand and sat down next to him.

"For being drunk and despondent."

"My girl dumped me for a pirate, and I got beat up in a fight I started to get the pirate. You, Louis?" For some reason, they were rather informal with each other. Probably because they were drunk.

"Me? My girl dumped me for a pirate, too, but this pirate stole my personal ship, too."

"Ouch. What was 'er name?" Gibbs felt sympathetic.

"The girl or the ship?" Roberts looked at him.

"Whichever mattered more to you, mate," Gibbs responded.

Roberts smiled. "They were both called 'Scarlett'. Yours?"

"Her name was Giselle. Nice blonde girl," Gibbs winked.

"Mine was a redhead. Real fire in the sack, too," Roberts grinned. "Now come on; let's get back to the docks." He helped Gibbs to his feet.

Gibbs put an arm 'round Roberts' shoulders and said as they walked away, "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"Gibbs?"

"Aye, Jack?" Joshamee turned from his memories to face his captain.

"Got any ideas on what to do once we've raided Isla de Muerta and refitted the Pearl?"

"Well, sir, I think we ought to get some more people working in the area-not other pirates, but some rum runners wouldn't hurt anything-'cept the Crown's business, o'course." He knew that the moment he said the word 'rum', Jack was hooked.

"I do believe yer right, Gibbs. But how do we start it?"

Gibbs thought a moment, then said, "I do believe we'll need AnaMaria in on this."

Author's Note: I know, I know. I just couldn't resist using that line. For those kids out there who don't recognize it, the line "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship" is a line from "Casablanca"- only the best movie of all time, second only to "Pirates of the Caribbean". Reviews, PLEASE!