Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of its characters.
The pain was horrible--a pulsating knife behind my eyes. I lay still, afraid to open them. The last thing I remembered were the shouts of the men on deck and one of the officers throwing me in my room, locking me in so that I could not come out amidst the fray. I must have hit my head, because upon waking all was quiet. Slowly, I opened my eyes and looked around at the unfamiliar sight. The room was dark and smelled damp with an air of alcohol. The bed upon which I lay was comfortable, but the room was cluttered with papers, bottles, and the like. Having been on a few ships, I realized I must be in the captain's quarters.
A rustling outside the door caught my attention and I hoped that Captain Bennett would enter to tell me exactly what had happed. To my dismay, Bennett did not come. Instead, the door opened to reveal a tall, dirty man who staggered through the door and came--to my horror--straight at me.
"Mornin', love. Care for a bit of breakfast? I was just about to sit down at the table here." His hand gestured toward the table in the corner of the room covered in maps. He took of his hat and placed it upon one of the chairs before turning back to me. He starred at me for a fleeting moment before I realized that I should probably open my mouth and speak.
"Thank you. You are the captain of this ship?"
"Aye, Captain Jack Sparrow, at your service, love!" he beamed. I noted the sparkle in his eyes, so familiar.
"Captain Sparrow. And this would be the Black Pearl?"
His smile broadened. "Ahh! So you have heard of us!" I had, in fact, heard the stories. I had been fascinated with the tales of pirate adventures from afar, but now that I was staring at the infamous captain face-to-face I was filled with fear.
"You attacked our ship! And you've kidnapped me! What do you want with me?"
"First, we only wanted to borrow some gunpowder and rum. We wouldn't have had to fight if your bloody Bennet hadn't decided to fight to the death. And secondly, I didn't kidnap you. I saved you from a burning vessel. I'm you're knight in shining armor, lass! And as for your third inquiry, I intend to let you go as soon as we reach port."
"I…thank you, I think. But the others?"
"There were no other survivors."
"Oh. Well, when do we reach port? And which port are we sailing to?"
"Stop asking so many bloody questions, Maggie. You must be starving, let's eat."
"I am." I stood up from the bed and began to cross to the table when I stopped in my tracks. "Captain Sparrow," I asked. "I never told you my name. No one has called me Maggie since I was a child. Where did you hear that name?"
"You, uh…talk in you sleep, love."
"I do not!"
"Of course you do."
"I do not, liar."
"But you do. Besides, how would you know if you do or don't when you aren't awake to hear it anyway."
The only thing I could think to do was glare at him. He pulled out a chair and waved his hand, beckoning me to sit. As I did so, two other pirates came in with plates of fruit and bottles of wine. They lay the spread before us, and left as quickly as they came.
"A breakfast feast, for my guest, Miss Maggie."
"Thank you, Captain."
"Please, call me Jack."
'Thank you, Jack." As his eyes caught mine I saw it again--that fleeting sparkle of familiarity. "I…"
"Yes, love?" He asked with his mouth full.
"I…nothing. It was nothing. It isn't possible."
"Probable. It's not probable. Anything's possible." His staggering cheekbones enhanced as his lips curled into a smirk.
"You'll think me crazy, but you remind me of someone I once knew. Someone who died a long time ago."
His demeanor suddenly softened. "That's not so crazy. Was this man a good man?"
"The best. He went off to find adventure. We were going to marry upon his return. He…" I couldn't continue. The grief which I had so recently laid to rest was coming back full force, only to be stopped head-on by a kiss. Jack leaned into me, his lips touching mine with a longing and passion I had only ever felt in my heart. When we broke apart I could scarcely speak.
"Jack…Jack Lancaster… But, you're supposed to be dead!"
