a/n: in case y'all didn't know, Admiral Groves is that guy in POTC 1 who tells Norrington "That's got to be the best pirate I've ever seen." (though he's only a lieutenant at that time) and you also see him in number 3 when the people about to be hanged start singing he tells Beckett "sir...they're singing." and he pops up throughout. anyways. oh and fun fact, the guy who plays Groves in the movie is also that guy in the new star trek movie that jumps out of the ship and gets incinerated by the Romulan probe on Spock's planet. Just thought it was funny XD

Chapter 2

Annette Taylor was less than pleased the day her father told her he had arranged her marriage to Admiral Groves. She knew that his rank meant that he was set to live a luxurious life for as long as he wanted. She'd seen him as she'd walked with her father, Lord Taylor, around the Caribbean town that was to be their home. He was tall, reasonably fashionable for the resources available in what Annette considered a godforsaken place, and not bad looking. Not to mention that as Admiral, he was one of the richest men in town, and indeed in the British Empire.

Of course, he'd only recently become Admiral, a bit after Admiral Norrington and Lord Beckett had mysteriously disappeared. Groves, who had been with them, would say nothing of the matter, only that they were presumed dead. He had taken the inherited position quietly, as was his nature. All in all, he was a good match.

But Annette would have none of it.

"Father!" she protested when the unfortunate man made the announcement. "I don't even know him!"

"Yes, my dear, I understand," he said meekly, wondering what on earth he had done wrong. "It's just that, well, I'm not getting sent back to England any time soon and it's high time you were married. The king himself approves, you really should consider yourself lucky."

"Lucky that I'm to be married to someone I've never officially met?"

"You'll be introduced to him at the ball celebrating your engagement, of course," Lord Taylor said, wringing his hands. "Annette, neither of us are getting any younger and I want you to be taken care of. Admiral Groves is a fine man."

"But –!"

"I don't want to hear any more about it!" cried her father in a rare moment of exasperation, "The announcement has been made! I'm thinking of you Annette, and as your father my word is final!"

Annette had sulked for a day. She knew that her father only had her best interests in mind, but still. She had dreamed of a life of adventure, ever since her father had indulgently begun buying exciting books for her education. True, Admiral Groves had been on the sea, fought pirates, and even once seen the infamous Jack Sparrow in action. But the adventures, she was sure, were for him alone, and she doubted he would even recount them for her, let alone bring her along. This was the way of things in her world; her parents' marriage had been arranged as well as her grandparents'. And who else would she find, stuck here in the Caribbean? After all, she was twenty-three, and girls in England were marrying much younger than that.

Like the adventuresome girl she was, Annette soon grew bored with her sulking. She packed an extra frock in a carpetbag and slipped out of the kitchen door later that night, whispering a quiet farewell and a promise to return to her father, once she had had just one adventure.

By chance, she met her cousin Peter Taylor, a young man who was going to inherit her father's estate and so was here learning about it. However, like Annette he was not one who really enjoyed sitting inside balancing accounts or betting on perfectly bred and manicured horses. She had smuggled him her adventure books and he was hooked. At this moment, he was dressed in tatters that his uncle would most definitely not have approved of, coming back from the docks. He had befriended some local sailors who were teaching him about life at sea.

It was perfect for Annette.

"Peter!" she hissed as she drew near.

He was startled. "Annette! What are you doing out here? It's not safe!"

She scowled. "It's not safe inside either. Father just told me he's arranged my marriage."

"To who?"

"Admiral Groves."

Peter smacked himself on the forehead. "Annette, you're crazy! The sailors talk about him all the time! He's a good man, he's an Admiral in the navy, he's fought pirates! Your kind of man, I think."

"I don't care what he's done!" Annette spat. "I've never even men him! What if I don't like him? And he doesn't seem the type to share his adventures with a little wife."

"I don't know how you can assume that, since you've never met him."

Annette glared at her cousin. The moonlight made it hard for them to see each other, so it was pretty much lost on Peter. But he could imagine. "That's not the point, Peter. I want at least one adventure, you know before…I mean, I'll come back and marry him. But not yet. So I was thinking…"

Peter put a hand on her shoulder. "I know, I know. Come on, you need to have someone with you on your adventure."

And together they walked towards the docks of Port Royal.

XxXxX

"See anyone who looks like they have a ship?" Joanna Sparrow asked, sitting against a wall.

"Nope," answered Adelinde Smith, who was standing behind Sparrow.

"I wasn't asking you," Sparrow said, rolling her eyes, "Hawk is the one on lookout."

As if on cue, Eliza Hawk dropped from the roof to land in the alley with the other two women.

"Just the same old crowd," she said, slightly breathless. "We should get out of here though. There's people looking for Sparrow and me headed this way."

Joanna winced. "This is why I hate Tortuga. Come on, we've got to try to find Gibbs anyways."

"Gibbs?" Adelinde was curious.

"A contact," Joanna said cryptically, as Bourbon cried out in his falcon way to express his discomfort as his mistress rose and jostled him. "Bourbon? Sorry you're not allowed in, love. Stay close though, come get us if you see anything interesting."

The falcon bobbed his head and took off. Joanna pulled her hat low so that it shadowed her face, instructing the women with her to not look anywhere except where they were going. That was her trick to staying unnoticed.

They searched every tavern in town, Joanna shaking her head each time. It was rare that she didn't find Gibbs drowning in a drink bigger than his head. Finally they went to the docks, giving up on their search momentarily to take stock of the ships available.

"Oh my goodness!" Joanna exclaimed as she stood in front of a ship that clearly belonged to the British Navy. "No wonder Gibbs is so hard to find! I'm surprised this thing hasn't caused an all-out panic." The ship she spoke of was the cleanest on the dock, and clearly labeled The British Pride.

"Sparrow, look!" Hawk pointed in a different direction. She had spotted Gibbs, curled on the dock with a teddy bear, fast asleep.

"That's your contact?" Adelinde said dubiously. "He's going to find us a ship?"

"I never said he would help us find a ship," Joanna said, striding over to the sleeping man. There was a bucket of water near him, with a ladle in it, used to give the slaves a drink as they worked. She took a ladle-full of water and splashed it into Gibbs' face.

"Mr. Gibbs!" Joanna shouted as the man startled awake. "You call this discipline? I will not have this sleeping about while we're on my ship! Next time it happens, you will be shot!"

"Sir, yes, sir!" Gibbs saluted, then blinked and looked around. He had to look down to see Joanna, who was standing in front of him grinning. "Well I'll be thrown overboard! Joanna Sparrow!"

"Hello, mate," she said, grasping his hand and shaking it warmly. "Come on, we've got a lot to catch up on. I'll buy you a drink."

"Oh, no, Missy." Gibbs was suddenly on the alert. "Every time you or your brother buy me a drink, you want something from me. Out with it, right now."

Joanna rolled her eyes. "This is why I suggested the drink. It's something –" she glanced towards Adelinde, who was suddenly enraptured by the lack of clouds in the sky. "Something that shouldn't be talked about where prying ears can hear."

Gibbs sighed. "You and yer brother are quite the pair, y'are."

They relocated to the one tavern that was mostly empty. Hawk, who kept the money for herself and Joanna, paid for drinks while Sparrow and Gibbs settled in a dark corner to talk business. Adelinde was ordered to stay with Hawk.

"Alright," Joanna began when Hawk brought the drinks and retreated so that she and Adelinde were out of earshot, "You caught me, Gibbs. I do need something. From her." She jabbed her thumb in the direction of the other two women.

"Aye," Gibbs said, taking a long draught from his mug. "I was wonderin' where the other one came from. I thought you and Hawk worked alone."

"We do," Joanna said, scowling. "And it was all going very well until she showed up, looking for Jack." She lowered her voice as she said her brother's name.

"He owes her money, I'd wager."

"Aye."

Gibbs took another swig. "Well, I suppose you'll be wantin' to know where he is then. Ye going after him?"

"That's the plan," Joanna said hopefully. "I need a crew too. And a ship."

Gibbs shook his head. "There was a day when women wouldn't dare set sail on a ship," he said, "Bad luck it was."

Sparrow rolled her eyes. "Come on. I'm the sister of Jack Sparrow. Surely I've got some of his luck with me. Runs in the blood, you know."

Gibbs smiled as he thought of his friend. "I hope it does, for yer sake." He looked around, making sure that Hawk had Adelinde completely distracted and that no one was listening to his and Joanna's conversation.

"Alright, all o' this is strictly confidential, ye hear? Ye didn't hear anythin' from me."

Joanna nodded.

Gibbs lowered his voice so that he was nearly whispering. "Last I heard from yer brother, 'e was sailin' to Florida or some such, lookin' for the 'fountain o' youth'. He's got that accursed turning oriental map with him, so it's hard to say exactly. But I'm sure ye know the ports abouts that area."

"I do. Alright, I know where to start looking." Joanna was used to not having more direction than that. Her brother was often difficult to find.

"As fer a crew and ship, I don't know of anyone who would be willin' to waste their time chasin' after Jack Sparrow, but perhaps a couple o' newcomers just come into town may be naïve enough to try it. They seem sturdy enough, you may give them a shot after ye find a ship. You'll know 'em when you see 'em. Hawk should be able to tell they've never been here before."

XxXxX

Admiral Theodore Groves and Lieutenant Richard Hastings made their way discreetly through the streets and alleys of Tortuga, the latter trying not the wrinkle his nose at the acrid smells bombarding him. Hastings was still as of yet unsure as to why he and the Admiral were on this mindless mission, but had been forbidden by his superior to ask questions until Groves told him it was alright. Or explained, whichever came first. They were both dressed in rough clothing that Hastings worried would have them mistaken for pirates and hanged. Rather, this had worried him until they had gotten to Tortuga, where there were no police or armed forces of any sort in sight.

The admiral led his subordinate to an alley that was empty and shielded from sight and sounds of the street. Hastings opened his mouth to inquire, but the Admiral spoke first.

"Yes, I will answer your questions, Lieutenant," he said, "But before you speak, there are things which must be cleared up. While we're on this mission, we are in complete disguise. We've got to speak like the sailors and drop the military titles. And you absolutely must not call me sir at all. From now on, you will call me simply…Theo. You'll be alright as Hastings."

It took the lieutenant a few moments to say something without saying "permission to speak, sir" first. Finally he got around the habit and said, "If I may ask…Theo, why are we here in the first place?"

The admiral smiled, but there was no pleasure behind it. "As you were bound to find out today, when the official announcement was made, I've been engaged to a lovely young woman by the name of Annette Taylor. Yes, Lord Taylor's daughter. The only thing is, we've never been introduced to each other. I would like to get to know her before I commit my life to her."

"I understand that, uh…Theo." Poor Hastings was not used to being on familiar terms with his superiors. "But if you would like to get to know Miss Taylor, wouldn't it be more prudent to stay in Port Royal where she lives?"

"Yes, it would seem that way," Groves acknowledged. "The trouble is, she's not in Port Royal. Days ago, she and her cousin Peter Taylor disappeared with her father's ship, The British Pride. It's my guess that they took the ship here because it's a short enough distance the two of them could get the ship here, but if they wanted any real adventure they would need to pick up a crew of people that wouldn't tell on them."

"So…we're on a mission to retrieve the girl?" Hastings was beginning to understand.

The admiral smiled, a real smile this time. "Yes, Lieutenant. We are on a mission to retrieve the girl, protect her from any danger, and I am here to court her properly. You, my dear boy, are coming along as a chaperone."

XxXxX

"Alright, Hawk, be on the lookout for those newcomers Gibbs was telling us about. They should look like they've never been to Tortuga in their lives."

"Oh, you mean the runaway girl with a ship I saw earlier? Or the two men that look strong and sober enough to crew a ship?"

Joanna stopped suddenly, and Adelinde and Hawk had taken a couple of steps before they realized she was no longer with them. When they turned back to her, Joanna was looking at them, Hawk specifically, with complete exasperation. "You couldn't have told me this earlier?" she said.

"You didn't ask," Hawk quipped. "Now come on, we'll talk to Miss Fancy Bloomers about the ship first."

XxXxX

Annette and Peter had been in Tortuga for longer than they had hoped and for longer than they liked. However, they hadn't been successful in finding a crew for the ship. It was just too conspicuously British Navy. Everyone they had talked to so far had taken one look at the ship and split. They didn't want to be caught with the stolen vessel, for fear of hanging. Peter could sense that the whispers about them were spreading and that it would be dangerous for them to stay in the town much longer. In fact today was the last day they planned on staying.

Annette was weary and tired from the shock that came from her seeing the utter depravation of this town after being brought up as a proper, sheltered English lady. She was just glad that Peter had stuck it out this far with her, though they were planning on going back after today if no one took their offer on the ship.

Perhaps it was because of the way the three women were dressed that helped them blend in with the crowd, so they appeared quite suddenly in front of the two members of British nobility. One of them, the one in the middle who had a falcon on her shoulder and who appeared to be the leader of the three, was dressed in men's clothes, though she wasn't really trying to hide her femininity as her braid swung down her back, some pieces of hair escaping to frame her face. The other two were dressed similarly in once-white, flowing shirts and skirts.

It was the lead woman, who looked to be slightly younger than Annette, who spoke with a Scottish accent.

"We hear that you have a ship," she said matter-of-factly. "And we need one."

Annette blinked and turned to Peter. He shrugged.

"We might have a ship or we might not," he said. "Depends on how much you pay."

The woman merely rolled her eyes. She lowered her voice to say, "Look, no offense but you two stick out like redcoats out here. It's not hard to guess that Missy here ran away with Papa's ship. And with what I've been hearing, it's dangerous for you two to stick around here for long. So we can do this the easy way, or the hard way." With that she let her hand stray towards the pistol tucked into her belt.

Peter inwardly groaned. He was unarmed.

"Just take us with you," Annette spoke, desperate to have someone take her ship. "I'll be the cook or whatever, just take my cousin and I with you and you can have the ship, so long as she comes back in one piece."

Her cousin looked at her, alarmed. But the woman in front of him was already extending her hand to shake on the deal.

"That sounds just about right," she said smugly. "I'm Joanna, and I will be your captain on this voyage. This is Hawk, and this is Adelinde. Whatever she says about me is false. Now, if you two will be dears and ready the ship for voyage, I'll go in search of the rest of the crew. I'd say it would take about six or seven to crew her, wouldn't you say?"

Peter was slightly aghast that this woman could judge that about the ship, but he could only nod and propel his cousin back towards the British Pride.

"Alright, now that we're rid of them for the moment," Joanna said, wiping her hands. "Time to find those other two crewmembers. Hawk?"

"They should be willing enough to come along. They've been watching our entire exchange."

Joanna smiled. "Someone's got his eye on Missy. Perfect."

XxXxX

It was a successful day on all accounts. Joanna (who was established as captain despite the mild surprise and protesting from Theo and Hastings at having the take orders from a woman, her knowledge of sailing and sense of direction, not to mention her pistol, were hard to argue with), Hawk and Adelinde were secured on their way to find Jack Sparrow; Annette and Peter were off on their adventure; and Admiral Groves and Lieutenant Hastings had been hired to help crew the ship and in doing so pursue their goal of protecting Annette.