Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything related to Pirates of the Caribbean or Little Mermaid. Well, except the movies, a Jack Sparrow poster, a magazine with his picture, and the Pirates soundtrack, but that's pretty much it. Only original creations (characters, places, etc) are mine.

AN: Happy Friday the 13th! Here's another chapter for everyone. Thanks for reading, and let the countdown begin towards Pirates 4 next week!

Chapter 11: A Day Out:

Sometimes in life, having morals can be a terrible pain in the…well, it was a terrible pain.

As a pirate, Jack shouldn't have morals –or at least, not many of them. However, his mother had been firm in teaching him right from wrong, as she hadn't wanted him to be a complete blackheart when he grew up. She had also insisted that he follow the Code his father adhered to with such a vengeance. Jack had also been taught to respect others, and to not take advantage of, or harm, those who could not defend themselves.

His father, on the other hand, had taught him well when it came to piracy and everything that came along with it. The pillaging, fighting, outwitting, and most importantly, the escaping of arrest, had all been part of the sinful side of his education. He had learned to do many of these things hand-in-hand with the morals his mother had taught him, and so far, come out none the worse for wear.

However, there was the wenching aspect of being a pirate, which Jack tended to straddle the line about. This had been the more complicated part of his education in piracy, mostly because it was hard for him to tell whether to treat a woman as the wench she was, or to treat her more respectfully.

Thus far, it had been relatively easy for him. Wenches in ports tended to know how they were going to be treated by those around them, and made the best of it. Any true ladies that Jack had had to seduce for the sake of profit were treated as such, and in the end, everyone got what they wanted –though the women tended to be angry at him for quite some time after he'd left them.

In regards to Marina, however, Jack was stumped. He didn't know what she was exactly; she wasn't a wench, nor was she (at least in his eyes) a fine lady that needed to be treated delicately. He didn't dare be more forward towards her, since being too forward was a step closer to nearly forcing a woman, which went against the Code his parents had drummed into his head.

To make matters worse, he didn't like or understand the stirrings he felt for the bonny lass with the sea-blue eyes. She was a constant puzzle he was trying to understand, and just when he thought he was starting to get somewhere, she threw him completely off his feet.

His first mistake had been in believing that because she was mute, Marina would be rather dim. Her infirmity had cast everything in doubt, and if it hadn't been for Anna-Maria's stubbornness, Rina would have been left back in port ages ago.

Then she had to go and show him that she was just as bright as the rest of them. Her skill in handling fish had been a shock to not only him, but the entire crew. She also showed them that she was able to learn things, and was able to communicate using her hands and facial expressions. Occasionally, she even managed to mouth a few words without sound, though she didn't seem aware of it. Jack could read lips (another skill taught to him by his dad), and her mouthing words seemed to be unintentional, since she didn't seem to put any effort or emphasis on the words she was trying to communicate.

Now here she was, proving to him that she was perfectly capable of learning new skills. Rina had been somewhat unsteady on her feet since the first day she's stepped on deck, and he'd expected her to be even worse off when learning how to fight. After all, sword fighting took time, effort, and a bit of grace to learn.

But to his surprise, Marina was able to take a decent stance and follow some of the footwork that went with practicing the sword.

It had been two weeks since lessons started, and things were progressing nicer than Jack thought they would. A week ago, Anna told him that Marina was practicing her foot placements constantly, and was starting to get the hang of balancing on the balls of her feet. Then, three days ago, he'd given Rina orders to practice her grip on soft, palm-sized cloth balls filled with sand, which Anna-Maria had in her possession. Now she was doing that, too, in her spare time between cooking and fighting lessons.

'It's a good thing that, while we've only raided two ships in all this time, she's stayed below for each fight,' he mused to himself as he gripped the helm. 'We've also stopped at a few places to relax, resupply, or listen for gossip on the merchant ships. She never even left the ship, thank goodness!'

He counted himself lucky that Marina hadn't been called into battle before she was ready. If there was one thing he didn't want to see, it was Marina lying, hurt (or worse, lifeless) on the deck. He could not bear that.

Jack winced at the thought of her blood spilling all over his deck. In their line of work, blood and wounds were all a part of life, but he didn't have to worry much about his crew –they were all skilled fighters, and knew how to take down an enemy before they got too wounded to do so.

Marina, however, was a baby when it came to this type of thing. He didn't want to teach her to fight, much less get her involved in any future battles, but there was no choice. Even if he did try to hide her away during a raid, she had to know how to defend herself, even if it was only long enough for help to come.

Looking down at the deck, he saw the topic of his thoughts emerge from below decks. She smiled at a few crewmembers, some of whom gave a casual salute, while others gave a wave or a nod as she passed them, apparently on her way to Anna-Maria. While his second mate greeted her friend with a pat on the shoulder and a grin, Jack scowled. What were they up to?

Curious, he watched as Anna led her off to the bow of the ship, where the partition hid them from view of everyone except the fellow up in the crow's nest, and he was busy watching out for any approaching ships or trouble.

His curiosity getting the better of him, Jack motioned for Mr. Cotton to come take the helm. The old man did so, and nodded once the wheel was firmly in his hands. Jack nodded in reply, and went to go take a little peek after the two women, wondering what he would find.

"Now, Rina, I know that Jack's teaching you swordplay," Anna said as soon as we were alone, "But there's going to be a time when you're unarmed, and that's when you're going to have to know how to defend yourself with only your hands and feet as weapons."

I blinked at her, and shook my head, but she motioned for me to listen to her. "During a battle, someone might knock your sword or knife out of your hand, leaving you weaponless. I'm going to teach you some kicks, holds, punches, and other moves so that you don't get yourself killed."

That did not sit well with me. I was clumsy enough without this new set of lessons, and barely holding my own during my sword practice with Jack. In fact, the only reason I hadn't toppled over during Jack's lessons was because he sometimes held me by the waist with one hand while he guided me through the steps.

The memory of Jack's warm hand on my hip made me blush. 'He truly has gentle hands,' I marveled, just before I forced my mind back to Anna.

She saw my red cheeks, and her eyes softened. I could tell that she thought I was embarrassed, but she hadn't guessed what I was truly embarrassed about –she thought it was the fighting, not Jack.

"Well, let's get you started," she said, striking a pose. "I learned this from a Chinese sailor quite a number of years ago, and it's done me a world of good so far."

Watching from his perch above the partition, Jack shook his head at the sight. Poor Marina was stumbling a little, but at least she wasn't a complete klutz on her feet. He supposed it was her repeated practice of her sword stances that kept her from falling over, but she was still unsure of herself.

'Perhaps I should tell her that everything is like a dance,' he pondered, watching as Marina took a stance and tried to follow Anna-Maria's moves. After all, she seemed to like dancing, and was slightly better at it than she was at fighting.

Jack grinned, remembering the times he'd danced with her. She had been awkward, obviously, and clueless as to the steps, but it had been such fun teaching her that he hadn't minded it one bit. Of course, Jack never minded a lovely woman in his arms, whether she was awkward or not. Sometimes, they were a bit more charming when they were uncomfortable and unsure of themselves.

From his seat, he watched as Anna showed her pupil how to kick, punch, and bite her way out of a situation. It made for some great entertainment, since it was Anna-Maria who was on the receiving end of those attacks.

An hour later, Jack watched in disappointment as Anna ended the lesson, the two women tired and breathing heavily as they went back to the main deck. Once there, Anna sent Marina on her way while she herself went to inspect some of the work the men were doing. His entertainment done, Jack slowly slipped back to the deck, hiding from Anna's sight until he made it to his cabin.

There, he closed the door behind him and picked up a bottle of rum from his desk, his mind considering many things as he began to drink.

"Jack, you've got to let Marina off of this ship!" Anna demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. "You can't keep her prisoner onboard the Pearl forever. Sooner or later, she's going to have to go out there and explore. The poor lass is going to go mad from being shackled to the Pearl day and night!"

"Anna-" was all he was able to say before being cut off.

"She deserves to go have fun, Jack," she proceeded to lecture him. "Marina is capable of handling a sword now, though she's only had a few weeks' training on it. She's also got me, Gibbs, Perkins, and half a dozen other men who would gladly look out for her while she's exploring. There's no reason for her not to go ashore, particularly when this isn't a pirate port town!"

Part of him wanted to argue with her, to say that Marina couldn't go ashore, but he knew his second mate was right; Marina had earned the right to go, and he shouldn't be standing in her way.

Sighing, he leaned back in his chair and nodded. "Alright, Anna," Jack conceded. "Tell Marina that she'll be going ashore. But," he said, holding up a forefinger, "I want to be the one who looks after her. If folks see her with me, they'll think twice about trying anything, savvy?"

To his relief, Anna-Maria nodded her head. "I'll go tell her. She'll be thrilled at the prospect of going with us."

As she left, Jack couldn't help thinking, 'Us? What did she mean, us?'

I could barely hold still as Anna pulled my hair into a braid. I was going into town today, and was both terrified and excited. What would I see? Where would I have my noon meal? How many people would I meet?

"Alright there, Rina?" my friend asked as she pulled the last strands of hair into place. "Got your weapons ready?" She smiled at my nod. "Good. Slip that silver cuff of yours on, grab your purse and let's go. Captain's waiting for us, and sometimes he gets impatient."

I was nervous as I rose from my bed and did as she bid before following her up to the deck.

We had docked late yesterday afternoon, while I had been seeing to last night's supper. Anna had told me just that morning that we might be making land, which hadn't surprised me. I had heard the men talking about it over the past few days, and this morning, had braced myself for my usual stay aboard ship with Anna.

My heart had nearly burst in excitement when, after today's breakfast, Anna came to tell me that Jack had relented, giving me permission to go ashore as long as I had an escort with me. I would go armed, of course, and there would be others with me as I did my exploring, but I didn't care, as long as I was able to leave the ship!

Luckily, I had been privy to many of the crew's roaming thoughts, as well as Anna-Maria's mind whenever she slept or dreamed, so I had a rather good education in the human world. I knew what 'markets' and 'stalls' were, as well as 'buildings,' 'stores,' and 'streets.' I also knew the names of many plants and animals that were probably going to be bought and sold, as well as the names of objects being offered to anyone passing by a stall. I was ready for whatever I encountered –I hope.

Up on deck we went, where the deck was mostly empty except for Jack, Mr. Gibbs, Marty, and Masterson, a man who was not only the strongest of the crew, but who was also gentle in spirit. Though he was a big man, Masterson had been one of the few who had done their best to keep a distance from me, as though he were afraid of me. It wasn't until several weeks ago, after our visit to the small port known as Georgetown, that he began to at least nod and smile at me as I passed him, though he did not really speak much to me. I still felt it was progress.

"You look very well, Rina," Jack complimented me, smiling as I blushed. "Blue and brown suit you."

He meant the blue shirt and brown breeches I had chosen for today. Anna had approved as well, though Jack's words seemed to mean more.

"Well, let's go, shall we?" he asked, offering me his elbow.

I had to gently probe his thoughts to understand that he wanted me to put my hand in the crook of his arm. I didn't understand why, but decided it was better for me if I did as he wished.

With Jack on my right and Anna behind me on my left, we went down the gangplank and onto the docks, heading into the bustling port of Kingstown.

In the past, whenever I encountered a large gathering of merfolk, a great sense of uneasiness had settled on me. I had always been an explorer and traveler at heart, and being around so many mermaids or mermen tended to put me on edge.

But for some reason, now that I was human, it didn't seem to bother me much. I was used to the crewmen being around me all the time, and sharing a room with Anna-Maria wasn't so terrible, as she was a friend of mine. Thank goodness I was now accustomed to people, for if I wasn't, being in the marketplace in this town would be torturous for me.

"What do you think, Rina?" Jack murmured into my ear, his free hand coming to rest on my hand tucked in his elbow. "What would you like to see first?"

Spotting something colorful out of the corner of my eye, I turned and smiled. Someone was selling jewelry! I had to look at what was being offered.

Practically dragging Jack along behind me, I approached the stall and began looking over everything that lay in sight. There were so many metals and gemstones, I couldn't believe my eyes! My fingers immediately released Jack's arm and instead picked up a necklace made of thin silver chains linked together, with pale blue stones dangling from each link.

'No, too delicate.' I shook my head and gently set it down. 'Ah, that looks much more promising!'

It was another cuff bracelet, this one as wide as three fingers together, and with many intricate designs engraved in it. The designs were of plants twining around each other, and in different stages of growth. I remembered that these were called flowers, and many people in the market were actually selling all kinds of real flowers.

"That's quite the nice choice, miss," said the stall owner, coming over to help me try it on. He smiled as the cuff glittered in the warm sunlight.

"Aye, it is," Jack agreed, though he seemed rather distrustful of the other man. "Now the question is this: how much?"

The seller named a price, causing Anna-Maria to scowl. "That had better be the price for the fancier bracelet there," she growled, pointing at an exquisite piece with purple stones set into it. "Try again."

Chastised, the man lowered the price considerably, but not good enough for Jack, who tucked a thumb into his sash. "Sorry, Marina, but it looks like the pretty bangle isn't for you today. Be a dear and put it back, ay?"

The seller quickly named another price, which made both Anna and Jack exchange a look before Jack nodded his satisfaction. "Good enough. Do you have the right coinage, Rina?"

I reached for my money pouch and looked at the inside of it, unsure as to which coins to use. Swallowing, I sent a quick thought into his mind to deduce which ones were right. It came to me soon enough, so I counted out the four coins that were correct and handed them to the seller, who asked if I wanted to wear it or if I needed a satchel for it. Jack advised me to wear it, so I did, smiling at the fact that I had actually bought this for myself. I felt very human indeed.

"Let's see what else they've got," Anna suggested, looking pointedly in one direction. "I'm thinking that Rina would like to take a gander at a few other trinkets, besides jewelry."

She led us to a clothes seller and instructed me to buy a few bandanas for my head, as a means of keeping my hair out of my eyes. I didn't understand why she wanted me to do this, as my hair was always worn in a tight braid, but she said it was also to keep sweat out of my eyes.

"Better you use these than your shirt sleeves," she joked. "And I didn't want to give you any of mine, since I haven't many to spare in the first place. In the second, using someone else's head cloth is a bad idea, when you think about it."

Oh, well, that made sense. Humans apparently cared about cleanliness, which would explain why Anna always made me wash at the end of each day with a small basin of water and a cloth. She also told me to get some handkerchiefs, two sashes, and some new shirts in colors that I liked. Since I enjoyed looking at many colors, it took a great deal of restraint on my part to pick out a mere handful of garments from the dozens or so being offered to me. In the end, I chose several in different shades of blue and green, and one in purple, which Mr. Gibbs insisted that I get.

"Goes well with your eyes," he said, cheeks turning slightly pink as I smiled my thanks at him.

By the time I finished, it was time for lunch, and I was hot, tired, and very hungry. Jack asked the clothes seller directions to a nearby place to eat, and proceeded to lead our group there. Once inside, we were seated at a corner table, and Jack ordered what seemed to be enough for twice our number.

It was a wise choice on his part, for we were more than able to eat everything that was brought, leaving not one bite left over. Slices of roasted meat, potatoes, cooked vegetables, and mugs of water flavored with lemon went down our throats, and gave us new strength.

For me, the afternoon was as thrilling as the morning. Jack had things he wanted to do as well, and as he didn't want to send me back to the ship quite yet, I was able to watch him argue back and forth with a store owner over food and goods for the Pearl. It was quite entertaining, and when I wasn't watching his handsome figure, I was with Anna-Maria, looking over the other goods being sold there. It made for an interesting, and rather educational afternoon.

By the time we finished visiting the shops that Jack needed to go to, it was beginning to grow dark. And as he refused to allow me in town after dark, he sent me back to the ship with Gibbs, Anna, and Marty to keep me company. He also gave Gibbs some money to buy supper to take back with us.

After our fine supper of roasted duck, bread coated in the fat of that same duck, and a few tiny cakes for dessert, I went to my bed, tired and content. I could hardly wait for what tomorrow might bring!

AN: Review?