Jack grinned at her. "Love, you certainly have changed quite a bit," He said, but she wasn't smiling anymore and her expression had changed to a look of annoyance. "How could you?" she said quietly her joy at seeing her old friend vanishing as she remembered how he'd left her.
"What?" said Jack slightly confused at her sudden change in emotion.
"After you had seen every thing they had done," she said placing her hands on the counter and leaning closer to Jack, trying her hardest not to grab his mug of rum and poor it over his head. "you still joined them" she finished her face sober but her eye's full of anger.
Jack held up his hands defensively. "All a part of the job, love" stated lowering his hands.
Gibbs sat to the side; quite entertained by the direction this conversation was going.
Gabriella glared at Jack, the anger swelling inside of her like it never had before. "You selfish little-" Jack cut her off before she could finish. "Pirate" he stated simply.
She gapped at him. "You have changed Jack, you really have," She said staring into his eye's in a way no one had before. "I thought you cared, I really thought you did," she stated simply before throwing down the rag on the counter and walking away from the two studded men and walking out of the tavern.
Jack winced inwardly. No one except her would have been able to make him do that. But the bond they had shared when they were younger had stuck with him through the years it seemed.
"Well, that was certainly interesting," Gibbs, stated flatly. "A friend of yours?" He asked though he already knew the answer.
Jack nodded before taking another sip of his rum. "You know, I wouldn't mind…adding a woman to the crew," He said thoughtfully. Gibbs raised an eyebrow at him. "Cap'n, it would be frightful bad luck to bring a woman on board." Jack looked at him, "Normally…But is would be far worse not to have her" He said.
Gibbs was stunned for a moment. "Is Cap'n Jack Sparrow feeling…" he paused, contemplating what he was about to say ", guilty?"
Jack didn't respond but simply took a sip of his rum, which was enough of an answer for Gibbs.
"Were is my barmaid?" Came the voice of a white haired, old man, after getting several complaints from the lack of rum going around.
Jack looked up at the man, a planning revealing itself in his head. "Oh, she walked out, mumbling something to herself about hating her job and her boss." He said. "Right Gibbs?" he added quickly, elbowing him. "Right, she was in a horrible state".
The man made a face. "Well then, I'm just going to have to have a, talk, with miss Gabriella." He said angrily before marching back into his office. "Now she'll have no place to turn except to me" Said Jack smugly before standing up. "Come on Gibbs, we need to go…get ready for our newest crew member." He said smugly.
Gibbs just rolled his eyes at Jack's logic but followed suit.
The next day, when Gabriella arrived the pub, a completely unexpected surprise met her. "What do you mean my services won't be needed any longer?" She asked exasperated. The man sighed. "Your fired, now please just leave before I'm forced to have you escorted out" He said.
Gabriella stood there for a moment before turning on her heal and walking out of the pub. As soon as she walked out the door she found a rather chipped Jack Sparrow come up beside her. "ello love! Fancy seeing you again!" He said.
Gabriella gave him a suspicious look. "What do you want Jack?" she asked raising an eyebrow. He grinned at her "Well, it seam's that the Pearl, My ship, is in need of a," He paused trying to find the right words "a womanly touch" He decided flashing a smile at her.
Gabriella looked at him, slightly agitated. "Jack, what are you getting at?" She asked, though she thought she new what was coming.
"While I was at the pub last night, a wonderful thought came into my mind." He began holding his hands out in front of him as if there were something other then the ugly streets of Tortuga to look at. "You, Me, on the pearl, sailing free on the open ocean" He said a grin spreading across his face as if you could just see it.
"Absolutely not!" She hissed folding her arms over her chest stubbornly. "You will not see me on that god forsaken ship anytime soon!" She snapped stopping in her tracks.
Jack smirked at her. "Well, I suppose you do already have a job…" He said, pretending to be disappointed.
Gabriella looked at him for a moment and then sighed. "I-wait a minute!" She said something clicking in her head. "You planned this didn't you?" She said pointing an accusing finger at him. "Oh this is low Jack, even for you!"
Jack shrugged. "Can't you see I'm liberating you? You can't honestly tell me that you really liked that! Being commanded around? That is not the Gabriella I remember" He said looking at her just as stubbornly.
"When you left, things changed Jack" She said her voice dangerously low. "I couldn't possibly still be that same girl you knew Jack. I have nothing left," She said looking up at him her hands pulled up into fists at her side.
Jack stared at her, she could have sworn small sign of sympathy in his eye's that had never been there before, but it vanished so quickly she thought she had just imagined it.
"Well, tomorrow we'll be leaving at dawn." He said smirking once again. "I'm sure I'll see you there" He said, almost challengingly. She just watched him, a blank look on her face as he turned on his heal and swaggered away as only Jack Sparrow could.
She sighed and rubbed her temple before heading off to her house, she needed to think about this.
Early next morning Jack woke up before any of his crew did. He was hopeful that Gabriella might show up. He didn't know why but he felt that he really needed her to come with him. He felt that he had a debt to pay to her for just leaving her like that, and that someway having her join his crew would pay it.
Steadily the crew began to clamber up onto the deck one by one. They were beginning to get slightly annoyed by their captain who continued delaying their departure longer, and longer.
"The tide's just come in cap'n! We need to go," said one of the crewmembers coming up besides him. "Alright, prepare for departure mates he said turning around to face the crew.
As soon as he said this he heard a voice come from behind him. "Wait!" It yelled. Jack turned quickly and ran to the side of the ship. Sure enough, standing at the port waving at them, was a Gabriella, grinning ear to ear.
"Stop!" Jack yelled but the ship had just pulled out of port. He looked around wildly and found a rope sitting near the side of the ship. He grabbed at and threw it over the side. "Jump!" He called down to her. She looked up at him wide eyed. "What?" Jack rolled his eyes at her but grinned. "Jump!" He called again.
She stood for a moment contemplating this. "Of for heaven sakes! Jump before we're to far away!" He yelled.
Gabriella jumped into the icy water and swam after the ship. It took her a moment to catch up but she got there. She grabbed on to the rope and looked up at the form of Jack above her.
Within moments Gabriella was pulled over the side of the ship. She laid on her back exasperated. Jack's face suddenly came into view in front of her and she smiled up at him. He held out a hand and pulled her to her feet. "Welcome to the pearl, love"
A/N – Okay! I'm so excited! I really hope you guy's like were this is going! By the way they wont just be sitting on the ship, well they will for a few days, but then the real adventure start! YEAH!