Can't Get Enough
Chapter One: An Old Friend and New Discoveries

I had been aboard the Black Pearl almost a month before I was discovered. I stayed below deck, in a storage room filled with shelves and cubby holes. A few held aged bottles of rum, while most were empty. I ate by sneaking into the galley at night, after the crew had settled down to sleep, and stole what little I could find. It wasn't much but it was enough to sustain me.

I had just returned from my latest excursion, a piece of bread clutched in one hand, apple in the other when I heard it. Footsteps. I had barely flattend myself into the corner I had claimed as my own when two boot clad feet came into view. I knew those boots. A pair of slender legs were next, followed by a toned stomach, broad shoulders, and a handsome face, framed by long black hair, a red bandana setting on top. Captain Jack Sparrow. The most sought after pirate in the Spanish main.

I knew all of his stories. From his days as Captain of the Black Pearl; the betrayal of his first mate, Barbossa; escaping after being marrooned on an island by said mutionous first mate (a pair of sea turles strapped to his feet, they say); his kidnapping of the goveners daughter at Port Royal (only for a short bit to escape the Royal Navy) to his commendering of a Navy ship after escaping ths clutches of said Royal Navy, and finally the battle between him and his old crew which happened to all be undead after being cursed by Aztec gold after betraying him. Serves 'em right, I say.

There were plenty more stories I'm sure, I just havn't came across anyone who would tell them to me. He stepped further into the storage room, a lantern held in his left hand barely lit, giving off random flicks of light. I briefly wondered what he was doing down here, as he and the crew seemed to avoid this room. It was why I chose it.

He walked towards the shelves, the light almost catching me, his gaze searching. I wasn't exactly sure what it was he was after, it wasn't as if this room was full of the most desirable substances.

"Why is the rum always gone?" Ah, rum. I should have known.

He raised the lantern higher, as if willing it to give him more light, and he smiled as he found an occupied cubby. Witch a soft exclamation of happiness, he reached down and grabbed the bottle he had spotted, his smile fading as he tipped it, only to have sand pour onto the floor instead of his beloved drink.

"Times run out, Jack."

The grovelly voice was unexpected to both of us, and I jumped as the bottle slipped from his fingers, shattering on the floor. He raised the lantern higher as walked towards a darkened corner, the glass crunching under his boots. The soft glow from the lantern threw out a sliver of light revealing a man's figure slouched down, sea water dripping off of him.

"Bootstrap. Bill Turner."

"You look good, Jack." A pool of seawater came from his mouth as he spoke, but Jack said nothing, just bringing the lantern closer to the figure, and I gasped as I saw him. He looked almost inhuman, with what looked like bits of coral melding into his cheek. The smile slipped from his face and for a moment I thought I had revealed myself.

His eyes stayed glued to Jack, and I relaxed a bit, knowing I was still safe. Jack however, straightened, up, a weird look on hs face. "Is this a dream?"

"No."

"I thought not. If it were, ther'ed be rum." He set the lantern on a barrel, and Bill held out his arm, a bottle in his hand, his bones cracking as he did.

"You got the Pearl back, I see."

He took the offered drink, brushing off bits of shell that had been stuck to it from his old friends hand. "I had some help retrieving the Pearl, by the way." He examined the bottle, and seemingly satisified, took a drink. "Your son."

"William?" Bill looked down sadly, speaking so low, I almost didn't catch it. " He ended up a pirate after all."

"And to what do I owe the pleasure of your carbuncle?"

"He sent me."

Jack's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Davy Jones."

"Oh. So it's you, then." He set down on a barrel, his back leaning against a pole. "He shanghaied you into service, eh?" He sounded casual as he said it, as if he wasn't worried, but a slight tilt in his voice gave him away.

"I chose it. I'm sorry for the part I played in the mutiny against you, Jack" A sea snail scurried its way past Bill, and his hand shot out, catching it. "I stood up for you. Everything went wrong after that." He examined te snail, and after a moment, shrugged, popping it into his mouth. "They strapped me to a cannon. I ended up on the bottom of the ocean, the weight of the water cruching down on me."

Jack took another swig, a strange look on his face. Was it pity, maybe? I couldn't tell.

"Unable to move. Unable to die, Jack. And I thought that even the tiniest hope of escaping this fate, I would take it." The strange look had never laft Jack's face, and he offered the bottle back to his old friend, saying nothing. "I would trade anything for it." He accepted the bottle, easily downing the rest of it.

"You didn't have to stand up for me, Bill. You should have known what they would do."

"What would be the honor in that?"

"Probably the same as if you never participated in the first place." Jack stood up, ignoring the look of shame thast passed over Bill's face. "It's funnny what a man will do to forestall his final judgment." He walked around the pole, reeling back as bit as Bill got up and met him around the other side.

"You made a deal with him too, Jack. He raised the Pearl from the depths for you." He took a step foward, and Jack retaliated by taking a step back. "13 years, you've been her captain."

"Technically..."

"Jack. You wont be able to talk yourself out of this." Another step. "The terms what applied to me apply to you as well. One soul bound to crew 100 years upon his ship."

"The Flyinf Dutchman already has a captain, so theres really no--"

"Then it's the locker for you! Jones's terrible leviathan will find you and drag the Pearl back to the depths and you along with it."

I gasped, the apple slipping out of my hand, and I watched in horror as it rolled towards the pair. 'Please don't hit him, please don't hit him, please don't--crap.' It hit him.

Whatever Jack was about to say was cut off as he looked down as the apple made a soft 'thunk' against his boot. He bent down and picked it up, both he and Bill examining it as if it was unusual to have an apple rolling to your feet when your below deck on a pirate ship. Ok, so maybe it was, but still.

He handed it to Bill, who shrugged and took a bite, watching as Jack took his pistol from his belt, pulling back the hammer. "It seems as if we have an audience with us."

Bill said nothing, taking another bite from my apple, silently pointing towards my corner. "It came from over there."

I tried to press myself further back as Jack came closer, the echo of his boots sounding like thunder in my ears. It was useless. I squeaked as his hand shot out, grabbing the front of my shirt, pulling me into view. "Well, this is surprising."

His eyes roved over me, a leecherous grin coming onto his face. Normally I would love this, after all, it was Captain Jack Sparrow, but at the moment, it just seemed to piss me off. Strange. I ripped my shirt from his grip, smoothing it out as I stepped back, glaring my worst. He just laughed. Bastard.

"And what would a lovely thing like you be doing on my ship?" He uncocked the pistol, shoving it back into the waistband of his pants. He glanced over at Bill, who was finishing off my apple, the one I had worked so hard to steal. "Is she yours?" He plucked the piece of bread from my hand, inspecting it before he handed it to Bill.

"I belong to nobody!" I snatched it back from Bill's hand, clutching it to my chest. I lost my apple to him, I'd be damned if he got my bread too!

They both just laughed, relaxing their stances. "She's got spirit, Jack."

"Aye, she does."

"Harmless, by the looks of it."

They laughed again as I straightened angerily, bringing myself to my full 5'3" height. This seemed to amuse them even more, and I huffed, tearing off a piece of bread.

"And what be your name, missy?"

I hesitated only a second. It wasn't as if I could get away without telling him anything anyway. "Amelia."

"I met a whore by that name once. Sassy little thing."

"I assure you, I am no whore Captain Sparrow."

"She knows my name." He turned towards BIll with an almost proud look, and his old first mate just shook his head.

"Remember what I said, Jack."

"Ah, yes. Davy Jone's terrible leviathan. Any idea when Jones might release said terrible beastie?"

"I already told you, Jack. Your time is up." He grabbed his old captains hand, slapping his palm, closing his fingers over it as if he was giving him something. He turned and walked towards the shadows, speaking over his shoulder. "It comes now, drawn with ravenous hunger to the man what bears the black spot."

Jack lifted his closed fist, both of us staring as he slowly opened it, revealing umarred skin. He lets out a small chuckle that dies in his throat only a second later, the both of us watching in morbid fasanation as a black mass encased his palm. He hastilly closed it again, jerking his head towards where he had last seen Bill. I followed his gaze and gasped in surprise. He was gone.

A frightened look settled on Jacks features, and he looked around almost helplessly, before grabbing my arm and running up the stairs.

"On deck, all hands! Make fast the bunt gasket! On deck! Scurry!" We made it up the stairs, and he turned, runnnig through the crews sleeping quarters. "Scurry! I want movement! Movement! I want movement!"

Bodies fell from various hammocks and make-shift beds as the crew members were startled awake. I tripped over one of the fallen bodies and would have joined them on the floor if not for Jacks grip on my arm, pulling me along. We reached the deck, the crew right on our heels, Jack still yelling all the while.

"List the skin up! Keep your loof! Haul those sheets! Run them! Run! Keep running! Run as if the devil himself and itself is upon us!" He let go of my arm and grabbed a piece of cloth from a passing pirate, wrapping it around his hand as he hid behind the mast. Not knowing what to do, I followed, and he turned to me, pulling me beside him. "Not a word to anyone, savvy?"

I nodded and he fumbled with the cloth a bit, before I pushed his hand away and tied it for him. He looked at me, and opened his mouth to say something but was inturrepted by a crew member coming up behind him. "Do we have a heading?"

"Argh!" He spun and faced the portly man. "Run! Land." He ducked down, and the man looked at me curiously as we watched Jack crawl towadrs the other side of the pole. The man was obviously used to Jacks strange behaviour, and he walked around to the other side, waiting for him to come back up.

A startled shout came from Jack as he saw the man in front of him when he stood, and his yell was echoed by him, before the man shook his head. "Which port?"

"I didn't say 'port,' I said 'land.' Any land."

The man was about to retort when I gave a startled screech as a monkey swung by, grabbing the hat off of Jack's head. Since when does he have a monkey on his ship? I shook my head and turned, watching the animal as he came to a stop, Jacks hat in hand. He screeched and Jack hissed back, causing the monkey to throw the hat into the water.

The portly man ran to the side of the boat, yelling out to the crew. "Jack's hat! Bring her about!"

"No, no! Leave it." All movement stopped at these words and they stared at their captain as if had lost his mind. He stared back and waved a hand in the air. "Run." The crew watched silently as Jack hurried out of sight. "Back to your stations, the lot of ya!" The crew scurried back into action and the man, who I assumed was Jack's new first mate considering all that i had just seen, cautiously headed towards the stairs, calling to his captain in a low voice. "Jack?"

"Shh."

I walked up beside him as he leaned towards Jack, casting a look around to make sure the rest of the crew didn't overhear. "For the love of mother and child, Jack, what's coming after us?"

"Nothing." He looked over at me, montioning towards the man. "This is my first mate, Mr. Gibbs. Mr. Gibbs, this is Amelia. She's graciously volunteered to join the crew. Show her the ropes, why don't you."

"But Jack, it be bad luck to have a woman--"

"Nonsense, Mr. Gibbs. I daresay, we are lucky to have her aboard. I'm guessing she'll do just fine." He gave me one last glance, and ducked into his cabin, leaving me with Mr. Gibbs. He gave a resigned sigh and motioned me towards the chaotic crew.

And so began my service aboard the most known pirate ship to sail the Spanish Main. The Black Pearl.

Bah! I don't like re-writing pieces of a movie just to fit in a new character, but sometimes it just has to be done. I tried to vary it a little, as not to rip off the movie completely. This should be the only chapter like this, if not pieces here and there to enter the Will and Eisabeth and whoever else need be.

If you guys see any mistakes, or have any suggestions, don't be shy!

By the way, I own nothing but Amelia.

Until next time.