You Forget One Very Important Thing Mate – (32)

The familiar sight of Tortuga drifted into view, as the Black Pearl rode the rocky waves towards the docks. It was here that the crew if the Pearl would stay until Jack said it was time to leave.

The sun was beginning to set on Tortuga, meaning the fun was about to start.

"Alrigh' men! The nights yers!" shouted Jack. With a cheer, the men stampeded into Tortuga. Ashley looked around for Jack; he was swaying towards the town in his cocky manner. She followed, figuring he would go to his favorite pub. Of course, as much as she liked rum, Ashley decided that she'd much rather visit her friends first. As it was day, they wouldn't be underneath the bridge that they all slept in, and so Ashley would have to look for them, at all their favorite begging spots first. And then just generally everywhere.

(Over To Jack)

The smell of filth, rum and smoke was thick in the grungy pub, where a good chunk of Tortuga's population was crammed in. There was shouting, both merry and angry, laughing, cursing, screams and even the occasional gunshot. Among the others, was the whole crew of the Black Pearl, save for Will and Elizabeth, both whom had chosen to stay on the ship.

Jack and Gibbs were sitting at a small, dirty and chipped table.

"Are ya even tastin' those?" Gibbs asked, looking at his Captain curiously. Jack had always been a big drinker and he could slam them faster than anyone Gibbs knew, but tonight Jack was drinking more than usual, and he seemed to be doing it for a different reason than for simple love of rum. Jack ignored Gibbs. He was trying to get Ashley off his mind. He felt sort of bad for letting her go and look for her friends herself, in fact, she was more than likely going to end up raped or dead (or both) by the end of the night. But she had insisted that she would be okay before she stepped foot in Tortuga, she had grown up on its streets after all...why should he mind?

Jack attempted once more to distract himself with fresh rum.

"Oh bloody hell!" he shouted suddenly, slamming his mug down on the table, causing the contents to slosh out and Gibbs to jump.
"What are you doing?" Gibbs asked as Jack stood up to leave.
"I'm goin' ta find Ashley, I ain't leavin' her alone, despite what she says."

(Back To Ashley)

No Street Rats by the market, No Street Rats by the blacksmiths, No Street Rats anywhere. Ashley was very confused; this was highly unusual, unless of course the laws of the street children had changed since Ashley left with Jack. But she doubted they did, she had not left that long ago, and those laws had been there since as far back as she could remember.

Walking across the cold cobblestone streets, Ashley came across a very familiar site, the bridge. Her old home. Except, once more, none of her friends could be seen. In fact the bridge had quite changed.

Moving closer, Ashley saw that there were none of the barrels there, which where once turned sideways and used for sleeping in. There were no mounds of straw or leaves. All that once was, had been lost, and Ashley didn't' have a clue why.

As she puzzled a man pushing a large wooden cart walked by, he noticed Ashley looking frantically under the bridge.

"Need some help?" The man asked.

"Aye, where are all of the street rats?" Ashley asked.

"Well, your one of them girl, I think you'd know,"

"I was one of them once but I found my father Captain Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl. I'm living on the ship now,"

"Oh, so the other street rats…they friends of yours?"

"Aye,"

"I spose I should be telling you then,"

"Tellin' me wha'?"

"Each of 'em where caught stealing, they were all hanged,"

Ashley's eyes turned wide and she shouted.

"Wha'? But this is Tortuga! Laws are always broken here! They were just children, some of them weren't even talkin' properly yet!"

"I'm Sorry, maybe you shouldn't have gone away with your Father…then again maybe it was a good idea," The Man replied, beginning to once more push his cart along the road.

When he had turned the corner, Ashley's eyes filled with tears, she sat down underneath the bridge and tried to restrain them.

"Ashley?"

It was Jack.

"How did ye find me?" Ashley said, ripping apart any signs of crying she might have had.

"I was close by, an' I heard ye shouting,"

"Oh,"

"I know what happened",

"How?"

"I heard most of the conversation,"

"Oh,"

Ashley turned and faced wall of the bridge, she smiled a little when she saw what had been carved into the stone.

Ashley Sparrow

Above her name, were all of the street rats before her, the ones that were older than her and found a way off of the streets just as she had done.

Then, below her name, where the names of all of the younger street children, but of course, for the really young ones, Ashley had to carve in their names for them.

Most of them being nicknames for the little ones.

Jack noticed the carvings too.

"What's this then?" He asked.

Ashley ran her finger over the carved name of the street girl that had practically raised her.

"Every single street child's name is on this bridge, every one, they were not bad. This is Tortuga, and as I said before, there are no laws in this place. If one loaf of bread goes missing it ain't going to make much o' a difference. My friends weren't hanged for stealing, they were hanged for being alive,"

"What do ye mean?" Jack asked.

"Street Rats. Also known as the complete nuisance's of society,"