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It had been an expected day that both parties had finally agreed. In the events of the current time of waiting for a reason to leave Tortuga, Julia had heard that Ángel and Captain Barbossa would be arriving in Tortuga to spend a few days there to get the Black Pearl back into shape from whatever dangers had happened out at sea and the damages done to the vessel.
As Julia walked around her and James’ room in the nearby inn. Owned by the William’s family she sighed heavily. “James! Where is my gun?”
“I doubt you’d need it, honey. Don’t you have your sword and knife?” James' voice was heard as he answered Julia. “Besides, I promised you I wouldn’t get into a fight.”
Julia looked up, seeing James dressed up relatively nice as he had been given new clothes since multiple times he had been attacked due to what he wore prior. His own commodore uniform. “It’s not you I’m worried about getting into the fight, it’s Barbossa.” Julia mumbled, although she had heard about the captain of the Black Pearl. She had never met him once and neither did James for that matter.
“We’ll be fine. A couple drinks, talking to everyone. Besides, Cassie is gonna be in the main bar, correct?”
“Yeah, Lewis has her working there.” Julia smirked, turning her body to face the door as she reached her hand and opened it. “You ready?”
“Of course.”
As Julia led the way out of the inn and down the streets of Tortuga she noticed in the water that the Black Pearl had been docked, and if anything was getting fixed up by the other men on board so it wouldn’t leave port. Arriving outside the bar she looked around, noticing the busy area of the main road from the dock to the bar. It was almost impossible to see as she felt James’ hand touch hers and give it a reassuring squeeze.
“Do you see them?”
“No. Maybe they're inside?” Julia suggested.
“Aye, we would’ve been. Blasted drunken fools in the way.” Barbossa’s voice rang, a clear annoyance in his tone as he looked down at Ángel who accompanied him.
Julia turned, smiling, “Captain Barbossa, Ángel, it’s nice to see you both.”
“Aye. Likewise.” Barbossa turned his attention to James as Ángel nodded to Julia.
“I’m glad you were able to make it here. We finally arrived at port after quite a hassle.” Ángel explained, motioning their hand toward the docks where the Black Pearl slowly moved up and down with the steady waves.
“Got attacked?” Julia questioned.
“Barely. The ship who dared attack us missed, although we also got a couple scraps. But it should be fixed quickly.”
Julia nodded, hearing Barbossa speak up again, “Commodore Norrington.”
“It’s not Commodore anymore.” He answered, almost hissing the words. How many times would he have to say that?
“Ah, that’s right. I had heard you resigned. Tried to chase after Sparrow did you?” Barbossa smirked, “Fool to chase after a man who escapes nearly everything.”
James sighed, lowering his head in shame as he soon gasped as Barbossa’s hand smacked him hard against his back, causing him to stutter in his step.
“I only joke. Although you are a fool. Anyways, enough of teasing the ex commodore. Let’s head inside.” Barbossa waved his hands, motioning their dates inside first.
“Cassie had saved us a seat.” Julia smiled, leading the way to the front of the bar. Cassie was seen running around the bar and quickly getting drinks as she soon paused and saw Julia, “Oh!! Finally you’re here!” Cassie complained, grabbing out four glasses and setting them down in the open seats. “These drunken fools wouldn’t leave me alone about the seats. I told them they were taken.”
Julia laughed, sitting on the stool as James sat on the left of her and Ángel sat on the right with Barbossa near the edge. “Sorry, Cassie. Anyways, to introduce everyone. Barbossa, Ángel, this is my childhood friend Cassie. Cassie, Ángel, Barbossa.”
Cassie smiled, “Nice to meet you both.” She soon took a look at Barbossa as she hummed, “Weren’t you the undead pirate Captain Julia told me about?”
“Aye. Although undead no more. The curse was broken thanks to Sparrow.”
“All roads lead to Sparrow.” Cassie grabbed out the required drinks they asked for and poured them out. Once she was done she heard a callout and immediately she sighed and went to go and deal with another customer.
“So, how have things been at the sea?”
“Lackluster. Although we have seen ships of the EITC, that we stayed very clear of.” Ángel took a sip of their drink, “Way too many for any of our liking.”
“Me and James have heard about the EITC men heading to Port Royal. We know why, but we’ve been keeping ourselves on the down low until we figure out what we want to do. As I’m not wanting to get anywhere close to anybody who could hurt me or James.”
“Wise of you to do such a thing like that, Miss. Knightshade. Although did you convince James or did he think of it first?” Taking a swig of his wine, Barbossa continued, “After all, I don’t see Mr. Norrington being so wise himself.” After the thrown insult and seeing James’ disgusted look, he grunted as he felt a harsh elbow to his chest. He mumbled a quiet apology to Ángel.
“Actually he was the one to bring it up. He has history with the EITC, so he was well aware of what they’re capable of. As well as their Lord, or whatever.” Julia waved her hand dismissively, not wanting to address it much. “But besides that, how have you two been doing?” Julia brought the conversation back to something more easier to hold. Without James or herself getting angry at the topic.
“Good. Besides a little hustle with the ship that attacked us. It’s been going very well. Constantly at open sea and been trying to find wherever the hell Sparrow is so Barbossa can settle the score.” Ángel explained, although they looked quite amused.
“Hah, I bet he’s been talking your ear off about it? James is the same way, although I know he’s been thinking about it. I’m sure James and Barbossa would get along well with their hatred of Jack Sparrow.”
James looked at Barbossa, holding his cup in the air for a toast, which Barbossa immediately accepted and clinked his glass against the other before both men took a sip of their drinks.
“I too would like to see Sparrow fall, if I can get a few hits on him.” Julia thought as she looked down at her left hand and saw the broken skin on her knuckles.
“Everyone I feel I know has bad blood with Sparrow.” Ángel hummed, turning in their chair to look at the bar and the antics being caused.
“Who wouldn’t? He’s always using people to get his way. And he somehow gets away with it.” Julia noticed Ángel’s focused attention on something and she followed their eyes to see the man they were just talking about. “Oh no.”
“Mm, wanna make a bet?” Ángel whispered to Julia.
“I’m down.”
“Whichever one sees Sparrow first and goes to attack pays the other.” Ángel looked at Julia, a smirk growing on their lips. “Agree?”
“Agreed.” The duo laughed, turning around and tuning back into whatever their partners were talking about. Which, to nobody's surprise, was about their hatred for Sparrow.
After about twenty minutes of them getting more fired up and drunk, throwing insults and agreeing with whatever the other said. Julia noticed James looked over to the side and saw Sparrow. He slammed his cup down, stumbling out of his seat as Barbossa watched him and soon saw what the ex commodore was doing.
“Aye…good eye.” He grinned, standing up himself and nearly falling over off his seat before walking up to where James was stumbling to.
“Well, James spotted him first.” Julia said smugly, waving her hand in accepting the pay up.
Ángel rolled their eyes, reaching into their pocket to pull out some money and set it in Julia’s hands. “Of course the man who is always on look out notices him first.”
“He can find a disturbance in the air quite fast.” Julia laughed, pocketing the money in her brown satchel bag that was somehow always settled in the inside of her shirt. Truth be told there was always a tiny hook that kept the satchel in place.
As Cassie was about to walk back to the bar to continue to talk to her friends, her eyes widened in horror as she saw a glass bottle be thrown as she backed away just in time. Her head slowly peeked up, looking at Julia and Ángel, “Don’t tell me a fight is starting?”
Julia looked over, seeing James throwing bottles at Sparrow and Barbossa was currently chasing him across the bar as much as he could. “You’d be correct.”
Cassie sighed, standing up as she leaned her elbow against the countertop. “Who’s gonna kill Sparrow first?”
“Good question.” Ángel looked over at Julia, “Want to make another bet?”
“Why not. The same amount of money?”
“Perfect. Whoever kills Sparrow first.”
“As long as my dad doesn’t come in here.” Cassie grumbled, “He always interrupts the entertainment.”
Julia laughed loudly, soon standing up from her spot as Ángel did the same. As they stood, they watched as the men fought their way through the bar and attacked Sparrow who was screaming and somehow dodging both swords. “Come on, James!! You got this!!!” Julia cheered, raising her fist in the air like a cheerleader.
Ángel shook their head, pulling out their own blade as they watched with unamused intensity at the fight. “I might go in there myself and fight.”
Julia nearly dodged a thrown bottle as she nudged them, “If you do that then you break the bet.”
“Hmm, true. I can’t have that. It wasn’t even my money I gave you.”
“No way it was Barbossa’s?” Julia laughed behind her hand, “Just giving away his money?”
“It’s not my fault he would give me it. It’s his loss, not mine. Besides, we steal half the rum from Tortuga anyways.”
“Sparrow!!” James yelled loudly suddenly as he threw the table to the side and pulled out his gun. Barbossa noticed and soon did the same. Two guns pointed at Sparrow meanwhile all he had was one.
“Is this truly what you want, mate?”
“I get my honor back if I kill you.” James muttered.
“And I can have the Pearl for myself and not have to worry about you stealing it.”
“Borrowing without permission is what you did, Hector.”
“You know what happened with the Pearl. Don’t try to change the story.”
James’ finger slowly moved down to the trigger as he soon pulled it, by a slight inch he had missed Sparrow as he moved to the side. He quickly swung his sword, trying to kill the man as he ran off. “Get back here Sparrow and fight like a man!!” James yelled, chasing the man out of the bar.
“You’re not taking my ship!!” Barbossa yelled and quickly followed them.
Julia looked at Ángel, both looking unamused as they sighed and started to walk out of the bar and keep a tab on their damn drunken partners. “When should we stop them?” Julia asked as they arrived at the dock, seeing them climb aboard the Pearl and fighting amongst the other crew.
“Who knows.”
Leaning against the railing they watched as the men fought, heads slowly turning from the helm to the main deck to the quarterdeck. It was until Sparrow pushed James off the deck and Julia’s eyes widened as she ran toward him and managed to catch him just in time. “I gotcha, James.” Julia struggled to hold on his forearm as she tried pulling up.
The sounds of swords dropping on the ground had Julia look up but slowly her grip was slipping from James’ arm. He was trying to push himself up but he, too, kept slipping, “Julia, just let me go!”
“No! You’re drunk! What if you don’t resurface?”
James sighed, he couldn’t argue when she spoke the truth. Pushing her feet back, she managed to pull him up and she fell on her ass. James landed on top of her before he laid on his back. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” Looking up, Julia saw Ángel’s arm outstretched and she took it. Standing up as she looked at Barbossa and Sparrow who were unarmed. “Where’s their sword?”
“Thrown to one of the crewmates. Got tired of them fighting.” Ángel explained, looking down at James as he managed to stumble up and get sick over the edge of the ship. “Better go make sure he’s okay.”
“I will. The double date was fun.” Julia smiled, “Even if it might’ve been slightly ruined due to an unexpected guest.”
“We’ll have to do it again sometime.” Ángel suggested, “Whenever you and James are free?”
“I’ll send a letter.” Julia hugged Ángel quickly before she returned to make sure James was okay as he slumped over the railing of the Black Pearl.