The Second Swann ---///--------

Chapter 30

Once the ship had been docked, both Will and Jack lifted the plank and landed it onto the rotting docks below. 

"A word of caution, Miss Swann," Jack called, stopping Charlotte who was about to step onto the plank. She turned around "Where you are is no longer your safe haven and civilized Port Royal. Once you step off, you'll be stepping into a whole other world, inhabited by a composition of the foul and barbaric." 

"Given that I've agreed to team up with and sail alongside with one of the foul and barbaric, I should be just fine. Besides, I've Will with me," she added, turning to Will with a smile, "and I trust he'll keep me from harm should there be any around me." 

"You have my word." 

***

As Jack led them through, it was then Charlotte understood what he had meant. To her, Tortuga was indeed where all the foul and barbaric and anarchic dwelled. Broken glass littered the streets and gunshots cracked through the night like fireworks. Abhorrent and wild, the inhabitants howled in the night as they chased one another, swinging aimless fists at ducking targets, only to strike misunderstanding instantly. 

The more she observed, the more the mayhem seemed to grow. 

"Stay close," Will told her and she nodded, keeping pace with him. 

"Scarlett!" 

Both Charlotte and Will looked up at Jack who welcomed a young woman with a powdered face and abnormally red hair  with open arms. He was oblivious to the woman's hand which was raised. 

SMACK

Charlotte  jumped at the sound of the slap and without another word uttered, the woman  Without another word, the woman spun around and sashayed away.

"Not sure if I deserved that one..." Jack mumbled, rubbing his cheek. His eyes brightened once more as another woman neared them. The only thing setting her apart from the previous woman was her blonde hair. Jack, once more, lifted his arms up in greeting, "Giselle!"

"Who was she?!" the woman named Giselle demanded.  

"What?" Jack said, but couldn't finish his response when Giselle's hand had already lifted.

SMACK

Charlotte and Will gaped at him.  

"I may have deserved that one..." Jack said sheepishly. He straightened up and patted himself off. 

"Ah Tortuga, how I missed thee," he said, looking genuinely fond of it, "tis a safe life that's never breathed deep this sweet, proliferous bouquet..." she turned to Will, "what do you think of it? 

A pigsty, Charlotte thought.  

"It'll linger..." Will said, exchanging a glance with Charlotte. 

They continued to follow Jack through the crowds until they came around a tavern. Jack picked a lantern off a peg as he led them deeper into the darkness. Charlotte didn't know where they were until they came across a pen. Peering over the rail, they saw an older man snoozing between two round swines, cozily nestled between their round and pink bellies. 

Jack gestured at something by Charlotte. She looked to her right to see a pail of water and bent down to pick it up. Jack took the pail and with one swipe he threw the water straight over the sleeping man, who awoke instantly, coughing and whipping out a blade, causing the pigs to squeal and scramble away. 

"Curse you fer breathin'! Ye slack-jawyed idiot!" the man sputtered loudly, waving the blade about. Charlotte gasped...she recognized that voice...no, it can't be, Charlotte thought to herself wideyed. "Mother's love!" the man cried, then hurriedly hid the pocket knife, "Jack! Should know better than to wake a man when he's sleepin! 'S bad luck!"

It was.

"Mister Gibbs!?" Charlotte exclaimed, causing both Jack and Will to turn to her with surprise. Though, they weren't nearly surprised as the man in the pigpen.

He sat up straight to stand, "Good God! Miss Swann?! What are ye doin' here?"

Charlotte's mouth frantically opened and closed, "wh-you're...you're a..."

"'Pirate's the word you're looking for, luv," Jack answered her with a grin.

Owl-eyed, Charlotte stared at Gibbs.

"But...how...when did you--?!"

Suddenly Jack's arm swung around her shoulders, pulling her close enough to him that she could smell the sea and a sickening combination of alcohol, "why not leave the how's and when's for later, aye? We've got important errands to take care of. This bad luck of yours," he turned to Gibbs, "fortunately, I've a way to counter it," he let go of Charlotte to approach Gibbs. "the man who did the waking buys the man who was sleeping a drink. The man who was sleeping drinks while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking."

Gibbs blinked "aye! That'll about do it," he said with a nod and a grin.

And suddenly he was hit with water again.

"Blast! I've told you I'm already awake!" he sputtered looking up at Jack, who looked at Charlotte, then all eyes turned to Will holding a bucket.

"That was for the smell," Will said, looking back at Gibbs who shrugged and nodded in agreement.