Disclaimer: If I owned Pirates I would live in Disneyworld … unfortunately that's not happening… so I'm stealing their characters and forcing them to do my will.. mwahahahaha….
Author's Note: Excuse my sad attempts at forming Spanish sentances… I have very limited knowledge of the language, I don't know why I tortured myself by making a half Spanish character… but eventually she speaks mostly English… that I can do much better…. Anyway, enjoy this very short introductory chapter….
Her mother had died of some sort of disease (that's what you get for being a loose woman), but not before she'd gotten word to the seafaring lover that had impregnated her seven years before. And so, heroically, the child's father sails to the rescue.
That was the way Bootstrap told it later anyway. 12 year old Jack hadn't known about those details when he was keeping watch below decks. But the girl fell asleep and started making noises. The older boy searched her out and was about to cry 'stowaway' when a big hand covered his mouth.
"I brought her on board," a familiar low voice whispered. Jack was released and he turned to face Bill Turner in utter shock. "I had to. She hasn't got anyone else, and I'm not about to let my daughter live out on the streets."
"Your…daughter?" That's funny, she didn't look anything like her father.
"Yes, my daughter. I left her where you would find her on purpose. I want you to help me keep track of her. She doesn't speak English and from what her mother's told me she's not a calm or quiet little girl."
"What does this have to do with me?"
"I want you to help her Jack. She's more likely to listen to you than she is an old man like me, father or not."
"But…" Ok so there weren't really any excuses, he just didn't want to be saddled with a little girl. He was practically a man now, ready to take on more dangerous jobs on the ship. How was he supposed to do that with a girl tagging along? "Fine, I'll help, but you'll owe me Bill, you'll owe me a lot!"
The man chuckled at his young companion. "That I will Jack."
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Her name was Josephina, but her father had started calling her Josey. That much had been established just after Bootstrap woke the girl up. Now she sat on a barrel staring at Jack. It wasn't even a normal girl-stare. It was kind of angry looking, like she didn't trust him, and it was making him uncomfortable. So he made a face at her. She raised an eyebrow, nearly unaffected by his taunt. But she suddenly jumped down and tried to dart past him. Jack was able to catch her around the waist and hoist her back up onto the barrel.
"No no no no no… If the…" he sighed and realized he needed to at least try to speak to her in Spanish. But he had to use gestures to get his point across even to himself. "El capitan es muy…muy mean and… he will hurt …tu… if he find you."
He had given a neck-slicing motion when he said hurt and she kind of caught on. "El capitan esta un muchacho mal?"
"SI!" Jack said far to enthusiastically. "Yes, the captain is very bad," let her think that, then she'd avoid him…. "A very bad man indeed. So… I am going back to work now… you stay…right there… don't move… I'll be back later…"
"Por que el muchacho mal esta capitan?"
The boy slapped his hand against his forehead. Bootstrap would never be able to do enough to repay him for putting up with this nonsense.