A/N: I recently took another glance at this story and realized how poorly written it was. So I've decided to polish it up one piece at a time. I don't know if anyone is still reading it, but for my sanity, I am going to retool it chapter by chapter. Maybe I will be struck with new inspiration and finish it.

Disclaimer: I own neither Pirates of the Caribbean nor any of it's characters, names or locations. This is a simple exercise in creativity that I will not try to sell or profit from. All credit goes to Disney.

Hayden regained consciousness when the ground under him gave an unpleasant lurch, slamming him into a wooden wall. He sat up in blind panic, sputtering as salt water splashed into his face, blurring his senses. His head felt like it was splitting in two. He frantically searched his surroundings, grasping for his last memory. He had been talking to the pretty girl on the beach when it all went black.

"What the hell?" he muttered as another wave of water came splashing into his face through a hole in the wall.

"Well, we are on a ship, which is on the ocean, so that mate, would be water." An unfamiliar voice spoke out of the darkness. Hayden turned quickly, nearly toppling over. Suddenly, the memory of a ship looming on the horizon came back. He looked at the walls, then the water, then cursed violently. "Sorry mate. Didn't quite catch that last." the owner of the voice stood up and moved into the low light, peering through the bars of the brig at him.

"Jack Sparrow?" he asked. It could have been no one else. Every detail, from the tri corner hat, to the ivory bone in his hair to the peculiar amount of layers he wore was standing in front of him. The wanted poster artist had done excellent work. "Captain of the Black Pearl?"

"See!" Sparrow gestured to someone behind him. "He's perfect. He already knows my proper name!" A woman gave an unladylike snort. At first glance, Hayden assumed she was the same girl who had gotten him in so much trouble. Upon closer inspection he realized that she was different. They looked strikingly similar, but the woman in front of him was a little more worn, a little harder, though just as easy on the eyes. She was also wearing men's clothing and giving the Captain an irritated look. Jack Sparrow seemed unconcerned. "Well lass, you'd better let him out and clean him up."

The girl from the market emerged from behind the other woman, holding a large brass key ring. She gave Hayden an exasperated look, but stepped forward to let him out. "Welcome to the Black Pearl," she said in a monotone. "You have two choices. You can join us and profit--"

"Or you can prepare to meet your maker when we toss you over the side of the ship," the other woman said sharply.

"Ana will do it too," Jack said pleasantly. "So it's really best to join us. I'm a great employer." The older of the women rolled her eyes. "What do you say, son?" he asked him.

Hayden didn't particularly feel like dying at the moment. He nodded. "The first option," he said.

"Great!" Jack clapped his hands in glee. "We'll let Laura here show you around. Come on," he gestured to the first woman. "Best get a move on." they turned, climbed the steps and were gone. Laura was standing quietly next to him.

"Sorry about all that. But I was trying to warn you," she looked at him.

"You did." Hayden agreed.

"You're a bloody idiot for following me," she chastised, gesturing for him to follow her out of the brig.

"Can't argue there," he nodded easily.

"This isn't easy work, you know?" she continued once they emerged on deck. "You're presence on this ship alone makes you an outlaw. If the Navy were to catch us, we would all be implicated. And don't think about trying to turn us all in to the authorities. The crew will hang you up by your bootstraps for that."

Hayden made a disgusted face. "No worries, I'm not a fan of her majesties' finest."

Laura raised her brows but continued on as though he hadn't spoken. "Not to mention the amount of work that comes with being a sailor in general. And you'll be starting at the bottom, the worst shifts, cleaning chamber pots, things of that nature…" She was leading him across the deck of the massive ship now, passing a variety of interesting looking characters, most of whom greeted her.

"No special treatment for kidnapped crew members, eh?" he joked. She turned her eyes to him, squinting slightly in the sun. He smiled uncertainly at her, willing her to realize it was a joke. After a moment, her lips quirked upward, forming a shape like cupid's bow.

"I told you. It's not going to be easy. You'll be starting helping with the rigging. Gibbs here," she gestured to a portly balding man with a salt and pepper beard who was eyeing him warily.

"Hello," he greeted. The man just grunted and took a swig out of a flask around his neck.

"In an hour or so I'll come find you." Laura turned her head around to look at the woman barking orders across the deck. "In the meantime, good luck." with a wave, she was off.

Gibbs noisily gulped down the contents of his flask. "What's your name boy?"

"Hayden." he responded, still watching the women talking to each other. Two women on a pirate ship doing the work of men. How unusual…

"Name's Joshamee, but you can call me Gibbs. Everyone does. I'm the Captain's second mate."

"Second?" Hayden had never heard of that.

"Aye. Anamaria there be his first. Known her for a long time, Jack has." Gibbs gestured to the couple who were indeed having a heated conversation about something. Laura joined them, apparently interrupting whatever they had been talking about.

"Is Laura her sister?" Hayden needed to satisfy his curiosity.

"That she is. Tags along with Ana, she does. She's a sweetheart. But it's still frightful bad luck to have a woman on board…" Gibbs trailed off.

Hayden thought that a woman might be the only reason being forced into piracy might be enjoyable.