In the calm, quiet of the night, a lone ship sailed only under the power of the small swells and light breeze. Its black sails danced in the calm breeze that fluttered through the clear night's air. Down in the lowest levels of the darkened ship, six ragged, sea-worn mean gathered together with a single candle lit in the middle of them.

"When will we move?" A dark-skinned, dreadlocked man whispered to his five companions. His black eyes scanned around the small table his fellow conspirators sat at. Only one small candle lit their meeting.

"When our dear cap'n," a balding man began with a glint in his eyes began in a low, growling voice, "is at 'is most vulnerable."

"Yeah," a scrawny, tall figure of a man chuckled, "'is most vulnerable."

"Silence!" A large, dark-skinned with piercings on his face snarled, "Listen to da firs' mate speak."

"Thank ya, Bo'sun," a man called from the shadows. Pushing himself away from the small dark corner, he walked out into the small candle light with light footsteps. He sat himself down with a flare of his coat and a wide grin to his fellow mates. "Gents, we have a plan all set out before us, but what is it that we lack?" His bright blue eyes scanned the faces of the men who hung on his every word. He was not the type of man—or pirate—to miss a chance for the dramatic. "We need the perfect, nay the most perfect, opportunity ta strike."

"Aye!" The bald man thumped his hand on the table, "the most perfect opportunity!"

"But," the tall lanky one began hesitantly, "when will tha' be?"

"It will be," the blue-eyed one answered ominously, "when I say it will be."

"Now, I'm sure you're all wondering why I called you here today," a man with long, black dreadlocks flamboyantly addressed his crew as he stood at the helm of a large ship. "The truth is, we will be docking here and heading to the wondrous city of Tortuga so that I may," he gestured with his hands for a moment as he searched for the right words, "pick up something that will… Eventually be an important asset to this crew. Now! Which lucky blokes get the joy of ferrying their captain onto land, aye?"

"We be honored, Cap'n Sparrow," two men stepped up.

"Ah," Captain Sparrow flashed his golden and black teeth, "Master Pintel and Ragetti. Let's be off!"

He made a fabulous show of getting into the long boat to go ashore. After they were lowered down and oars in the ready hands of Pintel and Ragetti, Jack shouted back, "Hector! Keep an eye on me ship, aye?"

Hector graced his captain with an appealing smile and a bow of his head, "Aye. Captain."

"Xandria!" Jack called multiple times as he sauntered through the streets of Tortuga. "Where in all the seven seas is that girl?"

He knew she was not the type of person to sit around idly. She was probably on a random staring at the stars as she usually did late at night.

"Oh, Xandria," Jack sung as he picked up his pace and headed toward her apartment. He paused in his steps when he remembered his two lackeys following behind. "Oh, mates, go have yourself a drink and I will be along later ta get ya, aye?"

Pintel and Ragetti shared an uneasy glance, but Pintel gave his head a shake and the two scampered off in a random direction.

"Now," Jack muttered under his breath with a hint of irritability, "Where is that girl?"

"Allo Jack!" an old drunkard called a greeting. He gave a smile that easily showed off his few remaining teeth.

"Hello, Drummy," Jack greeted smoothly, "Ye wouldn't happen to know where Miss Xandria is, would ye?"

"Ah," Drummy paused for a large belch then pointed his unoccupied hand at the roof of a nearby inn, "she be up there last I knew."

Jack bowed with his hands together as if he were praying and turned on the spot. He sauntered over to the inn. He craned his neck back and hollered, "Oi! Xandria! Ye up there, ye silly little lass?"

Xandria leapt up at the sound of her name. Had she dreamed it? No, it sounded so clear. And yet, somewhere in her mind, she knew it couldn't be true. Had that been the sweet voice of her Jack? Nay, she thought as she walked to the roof's edge, just me mind playing games again.

"Xandria! I have half me mind set on leavin' ye sorry little arse behind if ye don't answer me!"

With a face-splitting smile, Xandria poked her head over the roof. Her bright emerald eyes met Jack's charcoal black ones. "Jack!" She squealed as she leapt off of the roof.

Jack acted fast: he held out his arms and quickly planted his booted feet firmly on the ground so he could catch the girl properly.

"Oof," Jack grunted under the girls sudden weight on his arms. Recovering, he winked at the excited girl now cradled in his arms, "Ready to go, love?"

Xandria looked excited and confused, "Go where?"

Jack leaned in close and whispered, "On an adventure…"

"Where are we going? When're we leaving? Answer me Jack!" Xandria whined like a child as she darted around her small room. Grabbing and snatching at random scattered objects, she dashed around so quickly Jack could not keep his eyes concentrated on what exactly she was grabbing.

"Calm yerself, lassie," Jack soothed with a crooked grin, "you'll know soon enough."

Xandria huffed and put her hands on her hips. "Ye keepin' yer tongue shut on this one, so it better be good! Better than yer last "adventures", ye hear!"

Jack gave her a hurt look and placed a grubby hand over his heart. "Ye wound me wif yer words, Xandria."

Xandria rolled her eyes and kept her act of being mad up. A thought suddenly sprung on her and she quickly rounded on him with clothes in her hands. "Yer gonna have to tell Abuela."

Jack flinched. "Well, actually," he danced over to her and placed his hands on her forearms and looked at her with a glint in his charcoal eyes, "I was hopin' could just move past that little step and be on our merry way, aye?"

"No!" Xandria pulled away and wagged her finger in Jack's face, "Remember the last time we tried that? I almost lost me place in the building! Almost had to live on the streets, I did! All 'cause of ye not tellin' 'er!"

Jack straightened and cleared his throat. "If ye will excuse me, I need to go have a word wif yer…" Jack waved his hands as if that finished the rest of his sentence. He spun on his heels and exited Xandria's room. He clomped his way down the wooden stairs to the bottom floor of the building. Women and girls bustled around getting into bright colored gowns and pasting dazzling amounts of makeup onto their faces. They were chatting about new cliental that had docked today.

Jack caught the attention of a woman who was dabbing her neck with strong smelling perfume, "'scuse me Miss, where be yer captain?"

The woman, who had at first been eyeing Jack with an approving eye, now looked at him like he was slow in the head. "Really? "Our captain"? Well, you're not the brightest, bloke are you? Abuela is down the corridor to the right. Knock before you go blundering in on one of her naps!" The lady "tsked" him and sauntered away.

Jack only flinched at her words and followed her directions. Keeping his booted steps light, he knocked gently on the lone wooden door.

"Qué? Quienes?" An old woman's voice shouted angrily in Spanish.

Jack put his mouth near the keyhole and shouted slowly, "IT'S-ME-CAPTAIN-JACK-SPARROW-OF-THE-BLACK-PEARL! I'VE-COME-TO-TALK-TO-YE-'BOUT-XANDRIA-SAILING-WITH-ME-AND-ME-CREW-ABOARD-MY-SHIP-THE-PEARL!"

"Silencío! Cierra la boca, pendejo!" An old Spanish woman screeched as the yanked the door open. She glared down at Jack, "you are an idiot." She spat at his feet then turned back and hobbled into her room.

Jack glanced around before getting up and following her. "Is that a yes?" He gave an innocent, charming smile that fell away quickly when she glared at him.

"Why should I give her to you?" She asked in a heavy Spanish-English accent. She sat down heavily on her bed and continued to glare at Jack.

Jack opened and closed his mouth multiple times before she cut him off. "Paré! You look like an idiot!" She eyed him again and flashed a gum-filled smile at Jack, "more like one, I should say."

Jack, ignoring the insult, smiled pleasantly. "Well, if I am a fool, then I am a fool in love."

Completely taken off guard, she looked at him confused. Jack gave her an alluring, devilish smile and slipped onto her bed next to her. He pressed his body close up against hers and tried to ignore the horrid stench of death and to1rtillas that swam in the air around her. He leaned up to her ear and whispered, "me affections for ye have only grown since me last visit."

Despite her old age, the woman gave girlish giggle and let Jack spoil her neck with kisses.

"Jack? Are ye still in there?" Xandria's voice called from in the hallway.

Jack leapt up and gave a gracious bow as he walked backwards to the door. "Thank ye fer ye time. I do hope to meet you again, Miss Abuela!" He quickly turned and made for the door.

"LADRÓN!" The woman shouted as she felt around her ear for her diamond earring. "LADRÓN!"

"Save a room for Xandria, will ye darling?" Jack called as he ran past a stunned Xandria, grabbed her hand, and pulled her out of the building and onto the busy streets.

"Gents!" Jack called happily to his crew, "I introduce to ye fine gents, Miss Xandria Sirène!"

Xandria heaved herself up onto the deck of the ship with great difficulty. Jack, it seemed, in his excitement to introduce her, forgot that this was only her second time on a ship. She struggled to keep her grip as she tried to pull the rest of her body up.

"'Ere," a gruff voice offered as they pulled her onto her stomach on the deck. "Ye alright, lass?"

"Er, yes," Xandria gasped and tried to thank her helper, "thank ye, sir."

"Sir?" The gruff voice repeated with a chuckle, "Nay, lass, I am but a humble pirate. No need ta be so formal."

Xandria opened her eyes to come face to face with blue eyes as bright as the day sky. She stared into the deep blue abysses in awe. She had never seen eyes so blue before.

"Lass?" the man asked in an attempt to elicit a response from her frozen features.

"Xandria! Hector! What're ye doin'?" Jack cried as he quickly pulled Xandria away from Hector and onto her feet. "Ye alright?"

"Yes, thank ye Jack," Xandria gasped. "Master Hector helped me onto the ship and I was catchin' me breath."

Xandria cast her eyes over Hector with curiosity buzzing through her mind; she was helped by a pirate. How strange. She knew pirates—met dozens of them actually—and only two had ever been kind: Jack and Captain Teague.

She took in Hector's attire: a brilliant waistcoat hung around him snugly that seemed to dominate his appearance along with a wide-brimmed, dark hate with feathers sticking off the top of it. His appearance drew a smile onto Xandria's face. He was handsome and gentlemanly which were rare traits amongst pirates.

"Xandria," Jack gestured in front of her face to get her attention, "Are ye alright? Maybe ye oughtn't come after all."

Xandria snapped her eyes away from Hector and stared at Jack incredulously, "What? But you need me!"

Jack hummed and turned away from her. He paced back and forth. He debated in his head while Xandria and the rest of the crew stared on.

"Captain," Hector stepped up and bowed his head, "If I may be so bold to inquire, how would Miss Sirène be of any assistance to us?"

Xandria turned her gaze toward Hector, but she didn't try to defend herself. She knew she couldn't without giving away too much information. She turned her pleading gaze back toward Jack who had stopped his pacing and stared back at her. She begged and prayed with her mind with hope that her eyes portrayed her inner thoughts to him.

"Alright! Alright! You can stay! Just stop looking at me like tha'!" Jack shuddered and went up some stairs and disappeared out of sight. "Master Turner! I leave Xandria in yer care. If any harm comes to her from anyone of ye sorry saps," he paused to sweep his eyes over the crew and lingered on Hector, "you will have to face the end of me blade."

"Aye captain!" The whole crew chorused together. They all mumbled quietly to themselves as the stared suspiciously at Xandria.

"Back to work or it be the plank fer yer sorry little arse!" Jack barked to the idle crew. They immediately leapt to life.

Hector stepped up, "Where be we headin', Cap'n?"

Xandria watched curiously as Jack pulled out his black compass. Flipping it open, Jack eyed it for a moment then glanced nervously between Hector and Xandria.

"Euh," he mumbled. He lifted his right arm and began waving around, "That way! Now no more questions until we reach our destination, aye?" He pointed behind himself then quickly disappeared into his quarters.

Xandria laughed happily; Jack never changed. Hector looked back at Xandria and openly scrutinized her.

"And what has tickled ye so much, Miss Sirène?" He asked as his blue eyes swept over her taking in every single detail.

Xandria blushed under his gaze and gave a shy smile, "Is there a reason not ta laugh, Master Barbossa?"

Hector did not have an answer to that. She was right. There was no reason to laugh, but no reason not to laugh either. Hector smirked, "I do believe ye haven't been introduced to our fair lady yet, Miss Sirène."

Xandria looked at him confused and Hector's smile grew. He swept off his hat to his head and bowed low, but kept his sky blue eyes looked on her emerald ones. "Welcome aboard the Black Pearl, mi'lady."

Xandria threw her head back and laughed gleefully. She had a strong feeling that her life was about to change forever.

Hello everyone! I must apologize that it has been so long since I have updated, but there are more chapters in the works. However, I need to explain why I edited the title of the story and chapter title and the chapter itself. The title of the story now says "prequel" because these chapters take place before Curse of the Black Pearl. There are more chapters than I originally planned, so I decided to make it its own free standing story and am going to divide the four movies (soon to be five!) into four different stories to go along with the movies. The chapter title only makes it easier for my poor little brain to organize (ha!) and the chapter itself has the new part to help with future references. Thank you all for reading, your patience will be rewarded! More chapters are coming soon! Thanks again for reading! -XandriaValentina