Disclaimer:  I own nothing from Pirates of the Caribbean.  Absitively posolutely nothing!  And I am so peeved that they moved the release of the sequel back to 2006.  Grr.

Author's Notes:  Alas, I am back and ready for action once again.  It has been quite humorous watching some of you (cough Leanan Sidhe and Dutchess of Doom, cough cough) try to threaten me to update until I cracked under all of the pressure.  And of course, I would never neglect you, darling reviewers!  This chappie is dedicated to all of you who have a little pirate spirit in you.  (wink)     

                                                                        PineAppleLint

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-After all, just ask her dead fiancée.-

            Devon raised an eyebrow in quiet speculation until she licked her lips and said smoothly, "Captain Sparrow's been a bit rude to us, hasn't he, Regan?" 

            "I'd say so.  I wonder how he can make it up to us…or perhaps we shouldn't allow him that chance?" Regan replied as she cocked her pistol at Jack, unlocking the safety, grinning as the threatening 'click' resounded off of the walls. 

            Jack said with a smirk, letting his brown eyes mockingly well up with tears, "No, please…I beg of ye, ladies!  I have three lil' ones at home!  A wife!  A dog with two legs!" 

            Harsh laughter erupted from Devon's ruby lips.  Regan walked confidently over to place her gleaming pistol against the revealed, tanned flesh of Jack's chest from the gaping opening of his shirt.  "Do you dare laugh in the face of death, Captain?"

            "Why not laugh, my luv?  I view life as a celebration, drink up me 'earties and all that, so why not view death as the like?" 

            "You're a fool, Captain," she growled, narrowing her eyes at him, "Men like you cause others pain just so you can so called 'celebrate'.  You steal, murder, cheat and lie.  You fake a prosperous life because you're too insecure to make anythin' else of yourself." 

            Jack took a step closer to her, pressing the barrel of the pistol into his chest.  It must have hurt, but he didn't let his discomfort show.  "Ye are quite mistaken, luv.  The pirate's life is rewarding.  I think what you ought to be doin' is takin' a good look of yourself, savvy?  Because instead of giving into me charms and experiencin' the most fulfillin' night of your life tonight, ye would rather shoot me down on the spot." 

            June stepped up and savagely yanked the pistol out of Regan's grip as Regan was momentarily stunned by Jack's blunt statement, and stepped between her and Sparrow.  She fired the shot into the air, the bullet passing through the roof.  Then she threw it to the floor and kicked it underneath a table. 

            "I think that's quite enough out of both of ye," June hissed, "And the only person allowed to threaten Sparrow is me. Got that, McDowelle?" 

            In a flash, both women had their swords drawn and pointing at each other within close range. 

            "Ye seem like ye have a need to die, Oleander," McDowelle spat.

            "And before I die, I would like to see your head rolling across the floor!" 

            "Ladies, ladies…no use fightin' over Jack Sparrow," he said with a catlike grin, amused at all of the fuss. 

            "Blow it out ye're hole, Captain," Regan said angrily. 

            "Ye seem rather found o' that little phrase, luv." 

            June turned and pointed her blade at a surprised Sparrow.  "How about it, Regan?  I'll help ye take him down if you're willing." 

            "It's Miss McDowelle, and I think we should cut the poor bastard some slack."  The uptight lass actually grinned before sheathing her sword and wiping the sweat off of her brow.

            "Are ye all quite finished?" Devon yawned, "Because I'm getting quite bored watchin' ye all quarrel yourselves to death."   She turned to Will and Ana, asking, "And what are ye looking for, exactly?" 

            "Something not too complicated," Will Turner said hastily, "Something she could easily get used to and will protect her to the fullest extent…" 

            "Are you saying I can't handle any sort of weaponry, Mr. Turner?" Anastasia questioned with a sarcastic little scowl. 

            "Nothing of the sort, darling, I'm just saying the simpler, the better, is all," he replied quickly with a reassuring smile, keeping his hand at the small of her back. 

            "I think I have what you need," Regan said half to herself as she scurried behind the counter, rummaging through boxes and shelves before she extracted a small bundle of velvet. 

            Anastasia hesitantly lifted the folds of the fabric and marveled at the handsome pistol lying before her…it had small rubies crafted down the sides and was neatly polished.  Simple, but beautiful.  A true pirate's pistol. 

            "How do you like it, Anastasia?" Will asked, looking down at her expectantly.

            "It's lovely," she beamed, "Absolutely lovely."

            "We'll take it," Will replied, winking at Ana before Regan brought him to the side to discuss the cost of such a fine piece of weaponry.  Ana watched him hand over the money, not being able to tell what amount he held in the palm of his hand, and Regan delightedly placed the coins in her pocket.

            Meanwhile, Jack had made his way over to Devon, innocently resting against the wall where she was perched.  He sifted one of her braids through his fingers and said, interested, "This is a great hair style, Duville.  Almost as great as mine, I must say."

            "Paws off, pirate," she snapped, not even bothering to look up from the dusty novel she was reading. 

            He lifted his hands up in an almost feminine matter.  Devon saw this and a little half smile graced her lips. 

            "So what can I call ye, luv, since ye are so intent on keepin' me nose out of your business.  Duville?  Miss Duville?  Devon? Luv?"

            "Devon's just fine, I suppose.  Just don't be thinkin' that means we're on friendly terms."

            "Of course not.  I just want to know what I should be whispering into yer ear in the midst of our wild night together."  Devon dropped her book.  Jack grinned as he watched her pick it up in a flustered flurry of movements.  He had succeeded, and that little fact made his ego inflate even more so. 

            "Where are your manners, Captain?" she asked with a narrow-eyed stare.

            "I don't know.  Why don't ye help me look for 'em?" 

            "Well, if I find them Captain Sparrow, I won't hesitate to shove them up your arse." 

            "Touché, luv," he remarked with a smirk, "Touché."

            "How about to make up for all of this banter, you buy Regan and I a drink, hmm?  Hell, make it a couple and I will make it well worth your while."  Jack lifted his eyebrows.  That steady glance she sent his way with those dark blue eyes was just enough to make him catch the hint. 

            June, who was in the middle of pretending to search the shelves in order to eavesdrop on their conversation, was absolutely furious.  Who did she think she was?  Hell, who did Jack think he was?  Jack was a…a...a MAN WHORE! 

            "Let me go tell Regan the lovely news, aye?  Won't be but a moment," Devon said emotionlessly as she sauntered over behind the counter.

            "Hey lovey, the Captain's nice enough to buy us both a rum or two." 

            "With that man, he'd do anything to get into a woman's breeches," Regan replied softly with a snort.  When Devon didn't answer, Regan said in exasperation, "Oh no.  Not you, too.  In one o' your little moods, eh?" 

            "I haven't had a man in a while, Regan.  Cut a girl some slack, why don't ye?  Sparrow's more than offerin'…it'd be a pity to turn it down." 

            Ana and Will had already grabbed the wrapped pistol and were making their way out of the shop.  Soon, Devon and Jack followed, Regan was walking alone after them, and June was cursing up a storm as she trailed behind, kicking at the dirt.  What the hell was she going to do?  But the question of the hour was: why did she bloody CARE?

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            An hour later, Ana and Will watched June down mug after mug of rum, drowning in the alcohol as she picked at her fingernails and stared helplessly down at the floor in a pitiful daze. 

            Devon had found her way onto Jack's lap, straddling him as she held up the mug of rum to his lips with a devilish smile.  He had his arms wrapped around her, not allowing her to escape from his clutches.  Every once in a while, when he saw fit to do so, he flirtatiously ground her hips into his ever so slightly.  The motion was not lost on June, who sighed in disgust whenever they engaged in such activity. 

            The tavern was loud, violent, and bustling with drunks and whores.  Like every tavern in Tortuga should be.  Yet June wasn't feeling in the right state of mind tonight.  And those two reasons were sitting right across from her.

            When June glanced up again, her eyes widened instantly when she caught the sight of Devon and Jack kissing rather intimately…kissing usually reserved for acts behind closed doors.  For a moment or two, she was hypnotized by the professional way Jack's lips played with Devon's, how he seemed to indulge in her mouth before she had to force her eyes away in enraged embarrassment. 

            Regan had her boots resting casually on their table and she was conversing with a relaxed Will and Ana. 

            "That's an awful sight, ain't it?" Regan said with a shake of her head, pointing towards a sickened June and the kissing pair across from her, "She's jealous."

            "June?  Jealous?  She hates Jack," Will scoffed.

            "They've been fighting ever since they've met…" Ana agreed casually, tracing the outline of the table with her finger. 

            "Exactly.  She enjoys him.  Same with your Captain.  I've got to put an end to this…it's even disgusting me.  Oy, Devon!" Regan called.

            Devon frowned and looked up, growling, "Kind of in the middle o' something, dearie.  Can't it wait?"

            "Yes, she's busy," Jack murmured into Devon's neck, "Very busy." 

            "June Oleander here is thinkin' about getting a tattoo." 

            Devon's attention was instantly brought upon a drunken June. 

            "What?  I…huh?" June stammered.

            "You came to the right woman, gel!" Devon said cheekily, "I'm one o' the best tattoo artists in the Caribbean!"  She hopped out of Jack's embrace and practically skipped over to her.

            "Hey!  But what about our wild night together?!" Jack cried, looking rather angry and disappointed as he crossed his arms and sent her the best pouty look he could muster.

            "Sod off, Captain.  Come with me, Oleander, and we will see what we can cook up!" 

            June was about to deny Regan's outrageous proposal of her getting a tattoo, but she suddenly realized that it would distract Devon from a rather aroused Jack…and at the moment June couldn't stand to see them together for one more instant.  And she was rather intoxicated once more…so what harm could it do?  She consented.  A tattoo just sounded like another interesting adventure.

            "Yes…that sounds good enough to me," June slurred.  Placing her hat on her head at a jaunty angle, she stumbled out of the tavern, following Devon to carry out the painful task.

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            "DAMMIT!  Ye said this wouldn't hurt, woman!" June groaned as she kept her shirt up and her pants low, cringing as the needle slid in and out of her skin. 

            "I bloody lied, so what?  Just keep still, ye big baby," Devon ordered through clenched teeth, "You're so fidgety, you're going to make the letters crooked." 

            "This better look nice," June snorted, her head whirling as the alcohol gripped her, "Oooh, the room's spinning."

            "If ye pass out, it would make the job so much easier for me.  Are ye sure this is what ye want?" Devon asked with a grin, "After all, it was sort of a spontaneous request.  And yer half drunk, might I point out."

            A soft gurgle was her only reply.  June had passed out just like Devon had predicted.

            "I have a feelin' you're going to regret this in the mornin'," Devon snickered, "But that will make the new day all the more interestin', aye?" 

            Then she got to work. 

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Oh boy!  Devon and Regan are cool chicks!  And there will more 'plot' in the next chapter, I promise…I'm just having too much fun developing new conflicts…and I also promise more Ana and Will story interaction as well, savvy?  So be really bad eggs until next update!  (which will, in fact, be sooner than a month from now)

Please review!