Chapter One

Elizabeth Swann was seventeen now; it had been seven years since she first met Will Turner that day at sea. Everyday thoughts of the burning ship and the ghostly pirate ship sailing into the foggy distance haunted her. She desperately wished she'd been part of the crew of the pirate ship, though she knew very little of pirates. What she really longed for was the adventure; the sea. Her inexplicable longing for the sea grew with each day, and she became bored with daily life, yet there was no remedy. All that changed the day Captain Jack Sparrow paid a visit to Port Royal.

Elizabeth had been asked to attend the ceremony where the family friend, James Norrington, was to become Commodore James Norrington. Liz knew her father wanted her to go in hopes that she would become more interested James. He was a kindhearted, brave man, no doubt, but he just wasn't what Liz was looking for. He was too...boring; too similar to the life she led. Yet still, Governor Swann had been trying to get Liz to show interest in marrying Norrington for the past few years. Grudgingly Liz had agreed to attend the affair.

Dressed in the finest from London, including a corset that rid her of any hope of ever taking a decent sized breath, she stood under the hot Caribbean sun, fanning herself. She showing indifference, listening only somewhat to the drums and the man speaking of the now Commodore's past achievements. When the technicalities were over with, James requested that Liz take a walk with him. An orchestra played a light, airy tune that made Elizabeth think of her childhood. The two stopped at the battlements that stood tall over the clear, warm waters.

"You've become a fine woman, Elizabeth." Liz listened as James rambled on about her beauty, his position, and his lack of a wife. All she could think of was how tight her corset was, the heat, and the lack of air getting to her lungs. She even managed to gasp to James that she couldn't breathe, but he didn't seem to understand what she meant. The last thing Elizabeth remembered before passing out was beginning to fall, unnoticed, from the battlements.

When she awoke, Liz coughed up an excessive amount of salty sea water, and then found herself staring into the rather rugged, yet not less handsome face of a man she'd never before seen. His beaded beard and dreadlocks dripped cool water onto her equally cool and almost naked body. Liz noticed a member of the navy holding her corset and suddenly felt embarrassed to be wearing only her soaked shift. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered where her dress had gotten to.

The man hovering over her panting chest looked down. His deep brown, kohl lined eyes focused on something near her breasts and Liz shivered. The strange man reached a callused hand to her neck and held up the gold medallion she'd taken from Will so long ago. The man looked confused.

"Where did you get this?" His voice was deep and rumbling, like lazy thunder. Liz noticed the man had a few gold teeth.

Before she could speak, Liz heard the sound of many footsteps running toward them. The dock was suddenly filled with men of the Royal Navy, and all had their bayonets pointed at the man over her. She tilted her head to see her father and Commodore Norrington at the head of the group. Slowly the man stood up and backed away from her. Liz then felt the strong hands of James lift her from her back onto her feet. Her father quickly threw his coat over her shoulders. Liz became more embarrassed when she came to the realization of how many man were surrounding her, and how erect her nipples had become.

Through her frightened thoughts she heard James questioning the man and she discovered he was none other than Captain Jack Sparrow, infamous pirate. Liz's heart beat faster. A real pirate! Again she wondered what he'd been doing over her and why she had no clothes on. Searching through her still somewhat addled mind she remembered being on the battlements with James. Then...then...falling! That's it! I fell into the water! Jack must have saved me. That would explain why he's wet as well.

"Hang him!" she heard her father say nervously. He was a coward of a man; Liz had discovered that much about him over the years and not much else. Her father kept to himself mainly, and even more so after the death of her mother.

Quickly Elizabeth stood up for Jack, trying to reason that he'd saved her life. James looked as if he wanted to obey her pleas, but Liz knew he couldn't. It was his job to keep Port Royal safe. James insisted that Jack be hung.

"But he saved my life! I would have drowned had it not been for him!"

"Elizabeth, one good deed is not enough to rid a man of his past crimes." The look in Norrington's eyes betrayed his words. He loved Elizabeth and hated to see her so distraught. He'd do anything to please her if only she'd love him.

"Though it seems enough to condemn him," Jack mumbled from his place behind Liz where he was being "clapped in irons". When the strong metal cuffs had been secured around his wrists, he spoke again. "Finally!"

Quick as a wink, Jack's hands brought the metal chain around Elizabeth's neck and pulled her to him. She gasped as the rusting metal scraped her neck and for the second time that day, she found it hard to breath. Jack's face was at her shoulder, asking the Commodore for his belongings. Liz's heart pounded in her chest, and though she was scared, she was exited too. This was the type of adventure she'd longed for.

Jack's effects were handed to her and he spun Liz round in his arms, pressing her very close to his muscled body. She handed him his gun and found it promptly pointed at her head. Mind racing, she did as she was told and strapped his things round his waist, and stuck his tri-cornered hat upon his head. Jack grinned devilishly and for some odd reason Elizabeth found herself becoming slightly aroused. Their faces were so close. If only...

Liz was spun around again, back to facing the crowd of men, back to feeling very uncomfortable about her lack of clothing. She did not like the way some of the men stared at her. Liz shuddered.

Jack spoke, "Commodore, you shall always remember this as the day that you almost caught, Captain Jack Sparrow." Before she knew what was going on, Liz was being shoved into James' chest and she watched as Jack grabbed a rope and was lifted into the air.

"Now will you shoot him?!" her father's voice was shrill as he pointed at the wildly swinging pirate who soared through the air. James ordered the men to shoot and that's just what they did while Liz clung to Norrington's chest. She watched, praying that the bullets would not hit Jack. She sighed in relief when Jack landed safely and ran into the distance.

James sent his men after the tricky pirate. Elizabeth was forced back to the house by her father. There she bathed and was sent to bed like a child. The events of the day flashed through her mind, leaving her feeling giddy. Something else was to happen today, Liz could feel it. If only I knew what was to come.