Gibbs waited impatiently at the bar. He tapped his fingers on the bar as the bartender
sorted through the letters that were sent from all over for the various pirates that frequented there. Finally, he held it out the letter and handed it to Gibbs.

"Ah, thank you mate," Gibbs said as he inspected it. This is what they had been waiting days for and finally it had arrived. Gibbs turned to run towards the table, "Jack! Jack it's here!" Gibbs screamed as he darted off.

The bartender shook his head. "Mate! Ye fergot yer rum," he yelled after him.

Gibbs stopped in his tracks as he heard the word rum. He looked down and surely he had. He rushed back to the bar and grabbed the bottle of rum. "Thank ye mate." Gibbs said as he turned and rushed to the table. He was running so quickly he tripped over his own feet just as he stopped at the table. He landed stomach first onto the table with the letter in one hand and the rum in the other set perfectly on the table. He released them as he groaned in pain and searched for the chair behind him.

Jack peered into his mug. Lifting it up, he was in the process of draining the last few droplets when he heard Gibbs' voice. "Took you bloody long enough," Reaching out, he grabbed the bottle without even looking and poured a generous helping and swiftly tossed it back. "AH!" Closing his eyes as the liquid went down his throat. "Man could die of thirst around here waiting on you, mate."

Opening his eyes, he saw Gibbs sprawled across the table. "Why don't you try sitting in the seat? More comfortable you know," Reaching out, he snatched the letter and opened it. Scanning the contents quickly, he frowned. "What's this? Says here Will isn't going to be joining us on this venture of ours. Too busy..." His voice trailed off as he continued to read. His frown began to change into a smile, a big smile.

Looking up at Gibbs. "There's going to be a ball in Port Royal. I love parties! Drinks all around!" Suddenly noticing as several patrons nearby looked up. "I mean at the party, not here, mates."

Grinning, those gold teeth flashing and catching the flickering light from the candles that lit the dim room, he nodded his head in satisfaction. "I do believe we have been invited to attend the New Year's Eve gala in Port Royal. What say you to that?" He waved the parchment wildly about under Gibbs' nose.

Gibbs rolled his eyes at Jack as he used his foot to pull the chair towards him and then fell back in the chair. He pulled his mug of rum towards him and went to take a swallow and when he did not a drop fell. He then pulled the mug down and eyed it. "Couldn't bloody wait for your own could you?" He mumbled as he grabbed the bottle and poured him some more in his mug. He then took a swig of his rum and nearly choked when Jack said Will wasn't going to be joining them.

"What? All this and he isn't coming?" Gibbs shook his head. He then looked at Jack as he seemed to be enthused about a ball, "Why would I bloody want to go to a ball?" Gibbs inquired of Jack. "All the itching clothing and formal attire and proper etiquette." Gibbs shook his head. "You have truly gone mad now Jack. That is what I say to that."

"Not mad, you fool!" Grabbing the rum bottle Jack held it up. "There will be plenty of this around for this party, and we're going to take it! Imagine all those barrels and barrels of rum!" Tipping the bottle to pour more into his glass, Jack's eyes widened and he scowled fiercely when nothing came out. Holding the empty bottle up, he looked at Gibbs pointedly. "It's bloody empty!"

Gibbs looked at Jack skeptically as he said he wasn't mad. He shook his head barely hearing what Jack was saying until he heard the words 'barrels and barrels of rum.' His face formed a huge grin on it. "Ah genius. Pure genius," Gibbs said with a grin. He then looked at the bottle and frowned. "Shall we just get rum for the voyage to Port Royal?" Gibbs asked as he realized how quickly they had emptied that bottle of rum.

"You certainly do not expect me to drink water, now do you?" Jack's eyebrows crept up as he quirked a grin at Gibbs. "I shall head down to ready the Black Pearl and you my friend will see to provisioning her. We will leave in exactly two hours," He hesitated a moment, "Provided the rum is aboard."

Gibbs nodded, "Aye Captain." as he grabbed his mug of rum and downed the rest. He scampered off to the bar and placed an order for 5 crates of rum to be delivered to the Pearl.