"Governor Swann! GOVERNOR Swann!"

In the busy market place with noisy salesmen, angry bargaining, running children and whistles and shouts, an older man, about seventy, with a white wig turned, along with the girl's hand he was holding. My hand.

A younger man with a brown wig caught up with him. "Governor, there's been a reported sighting of—" He looked down at me. I stared icily back at him. "Well, there's been a sighting of him."

The governor's eyebrows knit together. "That young pirate? I don't believe he's a threat. He's not twenty-five years yet!"

The man frowned. "Sir, only two weeks ago he sunk the Legion."

Governor Swann wandered over to a booth. We two followed him. "Really, now?" He released my hand to examine a bronze pot. "Excuse me if I'm not enthralled. I didn't become Governor after all for worrying about useless threats."

"Sir, he took no survivors. Killed them all."

"Yes, well, it's a good thing we have no ships for him to plunder."

"That's right, we have a town."

Governor Swann placed the pot down and moved on. I followed.

"Look, Governor, he will most certainly be in our town today. He could already be here!"

"I appreciate your concern, but I doubt you need to worry. Good day."

The man retreated, a puzzled expression on his face.

Governor Swann turned to his granddaughter—me. "Now, Marie, should he actually cause chaos here, I want you to find your father immediately. He should be at the dock. Am I understood?" His eyes were serious.

"Yes, Grandfather," I said dutifully. As he turned away I rolled my eyes. A bit too protective, if anyone asked me.

But no one did.

A few yards away, there was a booth displaying beautiful jewelry with sparkling stones.

"Grandfather, may I look over there?" I asked.

He glanced over there. "We'll both go."

I groaned inwardly. Just then, however, another man grabbed the attention of the governor. "You go ahead, dear," he sighed. "But do be careful!"

I walked over there, enjoying ever little step of freedom I took, farther and farther away from my grandfather.

I nodded to the lady behind the booth and admired everything I saw. One necklace in particular captivated me—a thin chain of silver with a pink pearl in the middle. I held it up to her neck, admiring it.

"Liza! I've found you!" An arm grabbed me and dragged me away, just as I was setting the necklace back down. I didn't see this person's other arm scoop up the necklace in a flash, before it even hit the table.

"What the—let go of me!" I screeched, but the arm was strong as I fought. A few people glanced their way, but they turned away when the (boy?) simply muttered, "Sick mother…no help…what were you thinking?"

Finally we were alone in an alley. He released me sharply, then turned to face me. Captivated, I couldn't look away. He was rather handsome, with his brown hair pulled back into a small ponytail on the back of his head.

He withdrew a knife from a pocket in his worn, patched pants. "You listen to me. You are not going to run, unless you want to feel this sharp blade in between your shoulder blades. You are going to do as I say."

"Who are you?" I asked, finding the situation somewhat ridiculous yet fascinating at the same time.

"No one of consequence. Do as I tell you to and you'll live."

"My grandfather is—" I stopped. Telling him I was the granddaughter of the governor would only lead to a kidnapping and a ransom. "Going to kill you if you hurt me," I finished lamely, blushing. Why was I blushing?! I was in danger!

"No doubt he is. Follow me," he waved a hand, placing the knife back in the pocket. "And remember—I can throw this knife faster than you can run."

He walked out into the street. I dawdled behind him, wondering why he needed me. "Faster!" he hissed quietly. I picked up my pace until I was next to him.

To my shock, he grabbed my hand and slowed down. "Why so tense, Christine?" he asked, looking at me with adoration.

I was in shock.

"You just got that acting job you wanted. It was a matter of life or death, so why the sad face?"

I understood. "Yes, you're right…?" I smiled at him, a question on my lips. He nodded subtly.

"We're in love, we should be happy!" he stressed.

Oh God. We were going to walk past grandfather. I could faintly see him in the distance.

"So Christine, how have you been lately?"

"Fine, um, Brent. And you?"

"Very nicely, dear." I thought I would faint. Not only at his words (whoever the heck this boy was), but there were soldiers surrounding grandfather. I wanted to—no, needed to—disappear into thin air.

There was a low hiss from "Brent" as he glanced behind and saw the soldiers too. He dragged me to the far side of the street.

"Have you ever kissed a boy?" He asked me. Now unconsciousness was only a few seconds away.

"No," I replied flatly.

He sighed. "Ah well, you'll just have to get very good very quickly."

Suddenly his lips were touching mine and his hands were on my waist and we were bending and swaying. I felt like I was flying, and his arms were around me, bringing me as close to him as I could be. I wasn't flying, I was sitting on top of the world…with him.

"You're not that bad," he murmured, a smile on his lips. Eager, I kissed the smile.

"OY!! You over there, you seen a boy your age?" An officer demanded. I saw his frowning face in a haze. Oh my God—grandfather was looking over out of the corner of his eye. Couldn't he see that I was the one…making out…with this stranger?

"Leave them alone, they're in love," he said agitatedly. "Ask down there—ask the lady by the necklace. See if he stole from down there." Then his eyes widened. "Oh my God—Marie!"

"Marie? You know the lady?" the officer grinned.

"No—my granddaughter!" He rushed off, the officer (no longer smiling) right behind him.

Suddenly everything changed. He pulled his head from mine a bit. "Governor's daughter, eh?"

"N-n-no, granddaughter," I managed to force from my mouth. I could have slapped myself afterward.

He looked at me with shining brown eyes. "I see. Well…I have no need for more gold—I am content at present. Are they looking over here?" he whispered.

"Y-yes."

Then I was looking down from heaven again.

"Tell me when they're out of sight," he whispered.

I opened my eyes. I couldn't see anyone—even the boys and girls, adults and shoppers were gone. The street was…empty. The booths were empty—merchandise still scattered.

"G-gone," I whispered. "Now can you please tell me what the heck is going on?" He stepped away from me.

"You don't swear?" He grinned mischievously. "That'll change. Now come with me—or it's the knife. And in the future, it's 'what the hell'."

I glared. Who the heck was he, and what did he want with me?

Although I was intrigued by him. Being the granddaughter of the governor intimidated most potential friends, and being the daughter of—well, never mind.

"Hurry up!" he hissed. I started running, lifting my skirts up. Lord help me—the docks. The sight of a small, black ship startled me. Black sails, black deck—bad news. I sent a prayer up to the heavens hoping my fate wasn't intertwined with this boat.

Shouts filled the air.

"There he is!"

"Get him!"

'"Commodore, open fire?"

God help me, they were going to shoot! I picked up the pace. "Brent" was only a few paces in front of me.

"Open fire!" Commodore Newton yelled.

"No, STOP!!" Grandfather bellowed. "THAT'S MY GRANDDAUGHTER!!"

"On foot, men!"

I scurried as fast as I could, over the bridge and now on the dock, yards from the black ship that the boy was already on.

I groaned.

He helped me on board, then yelled, "A young captain's sailing out to sea—Yo ho ho, and a bottle of rum!" Instantly a crew of men jumped from everywhere, young and old. I could only assume that they had been hiding while the boy—their captain, I presumed—stole from the town.

"The pirate's life is the life for me—Yo ho ho, and a bottle of RUM!!" Having said that, this strange, exotic boy grabbed a bottle from the deck and took a swig.

"Cast off!" he cried, and the spell broke. The soldiers scrambled for the black ship, but they were too late. Some of the men waited until the soldier's were holding onto the rope, trying to secure it or climb up, but the boy's crew cut the rope so that they, the soldiers, swung into the water.

He watched this and laughed with a smirk playing on his lips.

"You will all remember this as the day that you ALMOST caught Captain Will Sparrow." He turned away as we sailed out to the unknown. I stared at him in shock, remembering my father tell me of an old acquaintance of his…

"You will all remember this as the day that you ALMOST caught Captain Jack Sparrow."

Such was my astonishment, I did not see my father standing at the dock beside grandfather, watching me leave in absolute shock.

I wheeled on this "Will Sparrow". "You said you wouldn't kidnap me!" I protested.

"You ran on here, I simply helped you aboard," he grinned, eyes flashing. At my glare, he added, "Don't worry, you'll learn not to trust me." He looked away towards the ocean. "It's the same with everyone in my family."

A/N: Wow. Does it suck? It looks like it does. Ah well, the ends intriguing, right?! Okay, maybe not. Whatever floats your boat…I mean, this is my first PotC fic, so please be nice. Well, I've written another, but…yeah, okay, you get the point.