This story takes place just shortly after the end of On Stranger Tides.
I most definately do not own Pirates of the Caribbean, any characters that you do not know already are from my imaginatioin, and any you do know belong to Disney.
Macey's POV
I gently tugged on the beaded braid that I have made sure to have for as long as I can remember. It was a sort of tribute to my father; a way to connect with him. I took a deep breath and looked toward my opponent. He may be seven years younger than me, but he's bloody talented with a sword. His sword was raised, ready to strike. I heard the whistle signaling the beginning of the practice and ran towards him. He breathed deep and waited for me to make the first move, as always. I just made a simple swing, and he blocked it with a practiced ease. After that, the battle was back and forth; me then him, him then me, until, finally, I used my signature move, the one my mother taught me when I was five and we played with wooden swords. I spun three times and then made my move and easily disarmed Willie.
Elizabeth ran up and hugged Willie. "That's the longest you've held her off yet!" He shrugged, but it was obvious he was excited; his grin was ear to ear. "Just keep practicing son, and I think one of these times, you'll get her." He turned and went after his sword, the one his dad made him when he visited, and Elizabeth turned to me, "you didn't go easy on him, did you?"
"Of course not, do you ever go easy on me?" She laughed and shook her head, then went after Willie, probably to congratulate him again. I sat in the sand and sighed; moments like these always made me wish my mom was still alive. I mean, I love my grandmother, and Elizabeth is like a sister to me, but without my mother a big piece of me is missing. The day after my eleventh birthday, she left for a trip and promised to come back within the year. She promised. But she never came back; my abuelita later told me that she had heard wind that the ship my mother was traveling on had been ransacked by pirates. My mother loved to travel, and she was never home more than a month a year. Even so, she found time for me. The entire time she was home was spent with me; she taught me to fight, helped with my schooling, and loved me. I didn't know her well, but I loved her, and I miss her more than anything, even my father whom I have never met.
Of course, my mom told me about him and his great adventures. See, he's a pirate, one of the most well-known pirates in the world at that; Captain Jack Sparrow. They met here, in Port Seville, when my mom was only eighteen, the same age I am now. She told me that they had three amazing years on the sea together, but one night changed everything, they fought about something trivial, and the next morning, she was back home, alone, back in Port Seville, the one place she was desperate to be away from her entire life, with a tremendous secret; she was pregnant. The rest is history; as Elizabeth says. She came to work for my mother a few weeks after my mom left for good. She's my best friend, and the closest thing I'll ever have to a big sister.
I looked across the beach at her and Willie, her only son, and the only thing that helps her get through her husband being the captain of the Flying Dutchman. She came to us in the hardest time; every time my mother left, I became rebellious and all out mean. But still, she was the only one who ever called me out on it; she had told me that I needed to act more like the lady I was, and I lashed out at her and told her she wasn't my mother. I remember her next words as if she said them seconds ago; "I may not be your mother, but I know you, know what you feel, and know exactly what you are looking for." Then she told me her story; her upbringing, her brush with pirates – my father being one of them, and finally her marriage with William Turner. Through that first real conversation, I had lost all rebellious feelings toward her, and I was better able to see her as a friend, a sister even.
Since then, I've told her about my mother and about who my father is. She said that it was obvious who my father was; told me that my eyes gave it away – they were his. She said that my mannerisms were an uncanny resemblance as well. From Elizabeth, I learned about my father, his bravery and cunning, and his flaws – he seemed to have more flaws than anything; he was selfish and uncaring, but she seemed to respect him anyway. I heard footsteps behind me, and soon Elizabeth was sitting next to me, pulling me into a hug. "Oh Margaret Macey Sparrow, what shall I do with you?"
I may be a girl, but I'm still tough and a pirate's daughter at that – I don't cry. I buried my head into her shoulder and let out a sob, okay, maybe I do cry, but not often, and only two people have ever seen it; my mom and Elizabeth. "I just miss her so much!" Exactly seven years ago, we got the word that my mother had been killed. Angelica Malon was on the manifesto of the sunken ship.
"Macey, you always will. Nothing will ever change that. But she loved you. Loved you more than you will ever imagine." She hugged me close and then stood up, unsheathed her sword, and easily slid it into the sand. I let a small smile slip as she turned toward me. "Secret time? I need to talk to you about something that your grandmother can never know I told you."
I stood and unsheathed my sword and crossed with hers in the sand. It was our tradition – anytime we needed to talk without interruption, we crossed our swords in the sand. When I was younger, I never had anyone to talk to, and Elizabeth wasn't always around. She told me that anytime I needed to talk to go out to the beach and put my sword in the sand, and she'd come as soon as she saw it and add hers. Then we could talk about anything – most times she told me stories of my father or stories of Will. "What is it, Elizabeth? You look like you've seen a ghost." We sat back down in the warm sand.
"In many ways I feel like I have. I don't know why he's here, only that he is, and he's looking for a crew. The crazy thing is I'm seriously thinking of joining him. But what about Willie? I can't just leave him here, and taking him with me would be impossible. I don't even know what he's looking for. There's no reason for Jack to show up in Seville. He hasn't been here in over eighteen years, you're proof of that." She was beginning to ramble and I couldn't hear what she was saying. My head was spinning, Jack? Like my father? "Mace, Mace? Macey? Macey? Margaret?" She waved her hand in front of my face, but I didn't really see it.
"Jack? Like Jack Sparrow?"
"Oh, did I say that? I didn't mean to. No, not your father, another pirate I know named Jack." I couldn't tell if she was being serious. I stood and looked out toward the sea. If my father was here, I had to find him. There was no other choice, I'd much rather be out on the open sea than stuck here. I heard Elizabeth sigh and stand up behind me. She put a hand on my shoulder, "Yes, Mace, your father." The world was spinning and going in and out of focus. I felt my knees give way and Elizabeth eased me to the ground.
Author's Note: This is the beginnings of a story line I came up with after watching On Stranger Tides the first time, and I added information into my poltline after I watched it again. Please read and review. I'm also looking for a beta reader if anyone is interested, PM me.
