Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything related to Pirates of the Caribbean. Well, except a Jack Sparrow poster, but that's pretty much it. Only original creations (characters, places, etc) are mine.

AN: Happy Friday, everyone! Please enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to review. Thanks!

Chapter 8: Against Captain's Orders:

Into my second month aboard the Pearl, I had to admit it: I was in over my head.

First, life aboard a pirate ship wasn't all fun and games; it's also about raids and pillaging, which happened a few times since I'd come aboard. Each of those times I'd been ordered to stay with Penny in her cabin down below, and the two of us had sat breathless and scared while the men did what pirates do to earn a living. It was terrifying and thrilling at the same time, and I silently hoped that I'd get used to it…eventually. It's rather difficult to get used to cannons going off, gunfire, cursing, shouting, and fighting going on around you.

Then there was the fact that getting to know the men of the Pearl was proving harder than I thought. I knew them either by name or by sight, as most of them had introduced themselves to me, but I was very slowly beginning to be acquainted with them. So far, only Gibbs and Marty considered me a friend, but at least I knew the crewmen to be good fellows –they deserved to have good women as brides.

The problem I was having, however, was finding those brides.

Born and raised in a small town, I was used to knowing everyone around me, which made it easier to pair someone with the right person. Even those traveling through Port Thomas had remained in town long enough for me to get to know them, and to find their ideal mate. I was used to taking the time to get to know my clients, and take mental notes on the kind of man or woman they desired –or the man or woman I thought would be good for them, which was a whole other matter altogether. This system well, and thus far, it had yet to fail me.

But circumstances were quite different now. Even though I was vaguely familiar with the crewmen's personalities and could form a basic guess as to what type of woman might fit them, I had a very short time span in which to work.

It was the fact that we never stayed in a port longer than a few days that drove me mad. How was I supposed to find women for the crew when I barely had enough time to set foot into town? It didn't help that Jack only allowed me off the Pearl when everyone headed to the local tavern or inn. If I was lucky, Anna-Maria and/or Gibbs would escort me to the local marketplace so I could buy personal necessities, but that was all.

Jack, meanwhile, was proving less than helpful. Several weeks into my stay aboard, I had approached him, asking that we stay in port an extra day or two so that I could find a few women for the crew. He refused.

"We're pirates, luv," he said, shaking his head. "We never stay in one place too long because we can't risk being caught by the Navy. The sooner we get our business and pleasure done, the better, especially since dancing at the end of a noose is not on my 'to-do' list."

"But how am I supposed to do what you're paying me to do?" I snapped. "Finding brides isn't easy, and it's especially hard when you never let me off the ship for more than an hour or two at a time! How am I supposed to work around that kind of restraint?"

Jack only shrugged. "You'll figure something out," he said, and dismissed me from his cabin.

Infuriating man! He couldn't –or wouldn't– understand that when it came to matchmaking, it took a great deal of effort to make the right pairings –and in my current circumstances, the first step was to find the right woman. I could usually tell if a woman was a good sort or not, but how was that going to happen when Jack wouldn't let me go out and look for them?

When I voiced my frustrations to Anna-Maria, she shook her head. "Considering that he saw how quickly you picked Penny out of a crowd of serving wenches, you can't really blame Jack for having full faith in your abilities. He probably figures you can do that again, and just as fast."

I snorted and crossed my arms. "I was lucky, that's all. And since we've stopped in half a dozen ports in the past seven weeks without adding a single female to those cabins down below decks, you can see how this is going."

That was true enough. So far, there was only Penny aboard, and she was quite obviously taken with Marty, and vise versa. Since Marty was well-liked among the crew, the other men didn't dare try to steal Penny away from him, not if they wanted to live to see tomorrow morning.

"This is impossible, Anna," I groaned, rubbing my head with both hands. "If we managed to stay in one place longer than three days, and if Jack would only give me more time on land without an intimidating armed escort, I could find maybe two or three women to bring aboard."

"Aye, that's true enough," Anna mused. "The Captain doesn't like the idea of you getting hurt when you're under his protection."

"Your protection," I said, "not his. He rarely sees me whenever we're in port. The only time he sees me is when I have dinner with him in his cabin, and since I've taken to eating all my meals with you in your cabin, that's a rare occurrence."

She rolled her eyes. "Evie, believe me, you are under Jack's protection. He's given his word as Captain to keep you safe, and safe is we will keep you."

I threw a teasing glance at her. "So you're keeping me safe because he's ordered you to, not because you like me as a friend?"

Laughing, Anna reached out and smacked me in the arm. "Silly girl, what's in your head? Of course I'm your friend!"

Chuckling, I relaxed and settled own on a barrel. "But how am I going to get things done?" I asked, trying to keep our conversation on track. "At the rate I'm going, I won't finish my end of the bargain until we're all as grey as Mr. Gibbs!"

"I heard that!" he said from where he worked, ten paces away. Those within hearing distance gave a short laugh before returning to work.

When amusement faded, Anna's face grew somber. "Well, if the Captain's not willing to give you help, then I guess I'll have to."

Rather than comfort me, her words actually made me begin to worry. "Anna, what's going on inside that mind of yours?" I asked suspiciously. "Nothing dangerous, I hope."

She smiled at me. "You'll just have to wait and see the next time we're in port."

"So that's what has to happen," Anna declared that night, after she finished telling her plan. "What do you say?"

The few trusted crewmen she'd brought in on this idea just stared at her. "Are you mad?" blurted out a crewman named Rannoch. Gibbs and Mr. Cotton nodded their agreement.

Rannoch was Irish to the core, with flaming red hair and grey-green eyes that were currently snapping with frustration. He was also the tallest man on the Pearl, as well as the strongest, so even though Anna wanted to give him a tongue lashing, she held back.

"No, I'm not mad," she snapped, hands on hips. "But if any of the men want to find a bonny lass to settle down with, Evie has to find women, and she can't do that with all those foolish restrictions the Captain's got her under."

"But sneaking the poor girl into town?" Rannoch asked worriedly. "What if something happens to her on our watch? It'll be our heads if the Captain finds out we let the little thing get hurt!"

Anna had to hide a smile. For all that he was big and strong, Rannoch genuinely feared the wrath of his captain, who was, after all, legendary when it came to handling a sword and pistol.

"Then we don't let him find out," she said. "Since I know you're one of the men who wants a wife, you might as well help her find one for you. Otherwise, you're stuck being as you are."

He rolled his eyes. "Alright, you win. Next port we pull into, you, me, Gibbs and Miss Evie will head off to track down a few lasses."

She couldn't hold back a smug smirk. "I knew you'd see it my way."

"You want me to what?" I gasped. "I can't do that! What if Jack finds out?"

We were in the galley's supply room, and Anna had just told me her harebrained idea of sneaking off the Pearl as soon as Jack led the men into town for their "nightly activities."

"Honestly, Evie, how else are you going to get off this ship and do what you were hired to do?" she demanded, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "Besides, we're pirates; we're free to do what we have to in order to get what we want. And we won't necessarily be going against Captain's orders, either."

Rannoch grinned. He'd been one of the crewmembers who hovered shyly in the background when I was nearby, but he was a decent sort of fellow. "Aye, the Captain never said we couldn't take you out and about –he just said you aught to stay aboard for your safety and travel with him in a large group. Trust us, you'll be safe, since there'll be at least two or three of us when you go out."

"And considering how hard you've worked learning to defend yourself, it's about time for you to put those skills to work. So, what do ye say?" Anna asked, grinning broadly at me. "Come on, Evie, I can't have spent all that time teaching you knife fighting for nothing!"

I smiled weakly in return. "Let's do it."

Agreeing to do something and actually doing it are two completely different things, particularly when it came to sneaking off of the Pearl.

When we pulled into port three days after my talk with Rannoch and Anna, my stomach was in knots. As darkness fell, Jack handed each of the men some coins to spend, then gave a day and time to return to the Pearl. Some immediately headed off on their own (including Marty and Penny), while others formed groups and wandered into certain taverns or parts of town. As usual, Jack assigned men to watch the Pearl while he and his own group of crewmen headed into town.

"Care to join us, Evie?" he asked, looking over at where I stood with Anna and Gibbs.

I usually ended up going, if only for a little while, but tonight I had a different plan. "No, thank you," I politely answered. "I think I'll wait for tomorrow. There are a few things I need to take care of first."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself. Come on, lads!"

As soon as he was out of sight, we let out a breath of relief. "Alright, Evie, let's go before you change your mind," Anna said, grabbing my arm. "Did you remember to arm yourself?"

She'd bought a lovely set of knives with whalebone handles for me a few weeks back, and had taken the time to show me where and how to hide them on my person. There was one in my boot, two on my hips, and one up my left sleeve. There was a fifth knife that was supposed to go in the small of my back, but I wasn't comfortable wearing it yet.

"Armed and ready," I nervously replied. "Can we get this over with while it's still light out? Going into a strange town at night doesn't sound very appealing."

Rannoch chuckled and came to stand behind me. "Well, with me standing at your back, you won't have to worry much. Let's go."

I was lucky this time. The town was rather small, but the center bustling. With so many women about, I quickly scanned the crowd and decided to ignore anyone above the working class. A wife with expensive tastes was out of the question –any woman who married a pirate and chose to live on land had to support herself when her husband couldn't send money to her.

'Hmm…not stall keepers,' I thought to myself. Stall keepers tended to think highly of themselves, and arrogant women meant arrogant wives.

Servant girls might do, as they were used to work, but then, they tended to be rather free with themselves. Scullery girls would probably be better…

"Spare a penny, miss?" pleaded a voice from my right.

I turned. Standing at the mouth of a small alleyway was a scrawny girl a few inches shorter than me, clad in patched clothing. Huge emerald-green eyes stared out from under a brown shawl that draped over her head. From beneath the shawl, I could see strands of lank black hair dangling around her pale face. My heart immediately went out to her, though I saw Anna-Maria's hand drift towards her sword.

"Careful, Evie," my friend whispered to me. "Sometimes beggar girls have a man hiding in the shadows, just waiting to club you on the head once they've got your alone."

Taking her advice to heart, I waved the girl over to me. "I'll do better than a penny," I offered. "How about you join us for a meal instead?"

The grateful look on the girl's face almost had me in tears.

Her name was Selene, and she'd once been a servant in one of the town's finest homes. Her job had been to wait on the young daughter of a merchant, and she had happily done so. True, her mistress had been vain and occasionally rude to her servants, but that was to be expected in a girl of high class.

What Selene hadn't expected was to be cast out of her employer's house six months later on a false charge. The lady of the house had apparently misplaced a necklace of value, and since Selene was the youngest and newest servant, she was instantly labeled as a thief.

"After my belongings were searched and the necklace not found, I was simply turned out," she said over her meal of stewed beef, potatoes, and bread. "The necklace was found in the daughter's room –she'd borrowed it without permission and hadn't returned it before her mother noticed its absence. The family was too proud to admit its wrongdoing, so I wasn't given my position back."

"Rich folk," Anna sneered in contempt. The others, including myself, agreed.

"So here you are, eating in a side tavern with four people you don't know," I said, smiling kindly at her. "Is begging what you've come down to?"

Selene nodded. "I can't find work elsewhere because of the influence my former employers have –if they say I'm a thief, even without proof, the rest of the town will still believe it. That's why no one else will have me work for them, nor will any man here take me as a wife." She swallowed harshly. "The only ones who show me pity are outsiders."

I immediately threw a glance over at Anna-Maria, who was trying to signal 'no' to me without attracting Selene's attention. Obviously, she was suspicious, but given how thin, pale, and sickly the poor girl looked, I very much believed her story.

"Selene," I drawled, "How do you feel about sailing?"

"Oh, my," she breathed, staring at the tall, dark ship. "Are you sure about this? I mean, will they really accept me onboard?"

On our way back to the Pearl, I had told her about the crewmen wanting wives, and that I thought she might suit at least one of them. She had been uneasy at first, but given that she was being taken far away from the town that had done her wrong, Selene was more than willing to come aboard and marry a sailor.

"Besides, as long as I meet a few good fellows, and have the chance of marrying one of them, I've nothing to complain about," she said, smiling as she clutched her satchel, which held all of her belongings.

I'd also promised that, should she not find any crewman to her liking, the Captain would let her off whenever or wherever she chose. "At least you can be sure that, as long as you work hard and earn your keep, you'll at least be well-fed," I declared while leading her aboard and down to the 'women's cabins.'

Down below, I introduced her to Penny, who had apparently just returned. The two girls were a bit shy at first, but soon Penny was fussing over the small, frail-looking Selene and pressing food into the girl's hands.

"Don't be afraid to ask Evie for food if you're hungry," Penny told her. "She works in the kitchen, and is always generous."

"You'll have the cabin next door to Penny's," I said, motioning to the wall on the left. "But if things start to become crowded down here, you might have to share. I hope you don't mind."

Selene gave me a soft smile. "It's more than I could have hoped for. If not for you, I'd be sleeping on a bit of sand or dirt tonight, and with an empty belly to boot. If sharing a cabin means I'll have a roof over my head, so be it."

Penny nodded her agreement. "Now, why don't you head up on deck, Evie, and I'll help her get settled?"

Chuckling, I did as ordered and went back to the dock, where Gibbs, Anna and Rannoch were waiting.

"So, how'd it go?" Anna asked.

I smiled. "Perfectly," I replied. "Penny welcomed her with open arms, and I think Selene will work hard to earn her keep, so that's that."

"Are you off for the town, or are you going to settle in for the night?" Rannoch asked, eyes drifting towards the horizon. "It's rather late, and I'd like to get a bit of shut-eye before my watch."

"Nah, I think I'll stay aboard," I said. "I'm going to raid the galley and see if I can find something for supper."

"It's the taverns for me," Gibbs declared. "What about you, Anna?"

She looked over at me. "Oh, go have fun," I told her. "You deserve it, and I won't be in your way tonight."

She grinned. "You're a good friend, Evie. Alright, Gibbs, let's see if we can catch up with the Captain and see how drunk he's gotten so far."

We all shared a laugh at that. Anna and Gibbs then headed off into town while I helped myself to some supper, and Rannoch headed down to the crew's quarters.

Later, I fell asleep feeling very satisfied with my work this day.

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