A/N: Alas, I still do not own Cap'n Jack. In fact, I don't even own POTC. But I have seen it 3 times. All I have is my Jack plushy doll and snickerdoodle cookies, and no one can take those away from me! Although I admit that Captain Ross, Miss Molly, and the wicked Everlin are mine. Use em if ya want, just give me credit. Also, I gave Jack a bit of a background name- there's a little Easter egg there for you Latin students to find. That's what I get for reading Catullus! (Hint, hint)
Prologue: Thief's Bargain
The ship's captain, fresh off the boat, clutched his tricorn hat in his hand and smoothed his ponytail back to make sure that the bow was still tied neatly. He took a deep breath and knocked upon the door to his employer's house. You bloody coward, he told himself. You act as though the man will try to lop your head off. It's not your head he's after. It's that pirate's. Minutes later, a butler opened the door and showed the captain in. "Mister Everlin is on the verandah, captain. Might I take your coat and hat?"
"No, thank you. I shall not be long."
"As you wish, sir." The butler escorted the captain out of the home and onto the screened porch where a man was sitting in a wicker chair. "Mister Everlin, Captain Charles Ross here as you requested."
"Thank you, Sumner. Fix us some tea, would you?"
"Yes, sir." Sumner the butler left to prepare the tea, closing the doors behind him. Everlin motioned toward an identical wicker chair and smiled rather toothily. "Captain Ross," he began, a cold aristocratic accent punctuating his words, "I trust you know why you are here."
"Concerning a pirate, sir? As you said in the letter?"
"Indeed. I assume that you have heard tales of the dread ship Black Pearl?" Everlin felt a feral pleasure at watching the good captain blanch at the mention of the pirate ship. "Th-the vessel crewed by the condemned, sir?"
"The same. It has changed hands recently, reverting to its original captain, James Passer. Perhaps you know of whom I speak?" Captain Ross nodded, a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach intensifying. "Jack Sparrow," he said quietly.
"You are clever, captain. Yes, the rather infamous ne'er-do-well Jack Sparrow is back and my shipping trade is the worse off for it." Captain Ross looked over at Everlin with large, almost fearful eyes. "How do I fit into this, sir? I'm only one of the captains in your fleet. We have few men who know how to fight onboard. What are you proposing?" Ross jumped as the door opened revealing Sumner with the tea. As the captain took hold of his cup, Everlin noted with some satisfaction, his hands shook and splashed several drops of tea into the saucer. "Captain Ross, I want you to engage the Black Pearl." Ross's eyes grew as large as the saucer he was holding. "S-sir? Engage the Black Pearl in combat? We fire upon them? Sir, that's suicide!"
"Not likely, captain. Hear me out. I want just you and a few of my more…loyal associates on board our fastest ship, the Fleet Runner. Note in your captain's log that you are heading for Nassau Port and that the fastest way is the strait near Tortuga, but you are nervous about a certain band of pirates roaming the waters. On the fifth day, make a long note about how you encountered the Black Pearl and how, by means of a lucky shot, you made a rather large hole in the starboard side with your cannons and how you and your crew watched the ship go down and all the pirates drown. After this entry, say that you cannot continue to Nassau and return immediately to Port Royal. I will take over from there." Ross set his tea down on a nearby table and looked shocked at the plan. "What if Sparrow shows up to show that he's really not dead?" Everlin rolled his eyes and sighed. "Then we'll kill him for keeps and keep it quiet. It's a simple plan, Captain Ross, in which everyone benefits. I benefit from more money being poured into my company by reassured investors. My investors benefit because knowing Sparrow, he will show up and I will follow through on the plan, resulting in no more real pirates in the Spanish Main. And you will receive a large reward and credit for being the man who finally killed Jack Sparrow. Do we have an agreement, Captain?" Ross looked at his hands and sighed heavily. "We do, Mister Everlin. I will not disappoint you."
"For your sake and that of your family, I hope not." Ross looked up into the man's eyes to find the undertone of menace laced through his voice and saw only cold gray, gray like the fog of England.
Captain Charles Ross rode home slowly that evening, troubled for what he was going to do. As he tipped the driver and removed his baggage, the door opened and a young woman flew out. She still had on a day dress but her hair had been taken down for the night. "Father!" she cried happily, throwing her arms around his waist.
"Molly Jane! I trust you've behaved yourself?" She smiled up at him as he kissed her cheek and placed something into her hands. "Here," he said, "take this. I brought it back from traders in Bermuda." By the light of the setting sun, the girl inspected her father's acquisition. "Why, it's another pineapple!"
"Yes, put it in the window so that everyone can see that I'm home. I suspect we'll be getting some visitors from the city?" He looked over her face with a soft glance. "Like some good local lads, perhaps?"
"Don't be silly, Father." As he carried his own small pack into the home, he couldn't help but notice how much Molly Jane had changed in the past several weeks. Her hair was still an ordinary shade of brown, her eyes were still dark brown to match her hair, her figure was still nothing to fawn over, but something was different. Later that night, Ross finally figured out what had changed about his daughter. Deep down, he knew that he would die going after this foolish venture of Everlin's and that he would never see his Molly Jane again. That's what was different. He was seeing his daughter for the last time, for the pirate captain Jack Sparrow would dispatch him, honestly and cleanly at least, for attacking the Black Pearl.