disclaimer: no, I don't own PotC, Jack Sparrow, etc (blah blah blah). I only own Corinne and any other original characters not from the movies.

Chapter One

Corinne Young leaned on the edge of the ship. She doubled over slightly, and then heaved the contents of her stomach into the blue-green waters. It swirled with an eddy, and then dissipated into the wake of churning water. Turning around, she saw several crewmembers trying to look uninterested. She hardened her mouth into a firm line and stalked past them all, her nose turned up in the air. Just because she wasn't used to the sea yet didn't mean they were better than her. She was meant to be on land, after all.

The cabin they'd given her was far too small, not big enough for any of her belongings, and she'd been furious when they refused to give her the captain's cabin to store the rest of her things. Why wouldn't they listen to her? She was the most important person on this ship, and they were being paid to take her across the ocean.

Port Royale...it was the most prestigious British city in the Caribbean isles, and she was to be the guest of honor at the Emerald Seas Inn. They'd already informed her parents that Corinne would lack nothing while she was there, she need only to ask.

Perhaps one of the King's good men would take a fancy to her, and she would be obliged to stay a few months longer for his promotion to sergeant. She smiled at the thought. She was certainly pretty enough – her skin was a lovely milky white, her hair was...well, all right, her hair was not pretty. It was red, and she wished that she had some brown or black dye to change it to a more favorable color.

But she was still good-looking, even with her reddish hair. She leaned against the bedpost, feeling queasy again. This blasted voyage would never end!

Captain Jack Sparrow opened his compass and looked at it, grinning as he did so. It held a sentimental value to him, even though it had long ceased to point north. The salty spray misted his face as he gazed out over the horizon. The sun was creeping towards the western side and day waned.

Anna Maria stepped up beside him, pushing her hat back on her head. "Captain, we've spotted someone at Starboard...two o'clock."

He squinted at the formerly unbroken horizon. Now a small speck dotted it, getting steadily larger. "They're coming on fast," he commented.

"We figure it's a British vessel heading for Port Royale." Gibbs surmised as Anna Maria swung up to the crow's nest.

Jack pulled out his telescope and spied the ship, as it grew closer. It was British all right, no mistaking the huge Union Jack that flapped briskly in the breeze. He looked up at his own flag. They'd probably fire on the Pearl as soon as they were within range. Chances are there were more ships close behind the one coming, too. Probably they'd already spotted the black sails and were heading over to see if they couldn't get themselves a little fame among the Brits while they sailed towards their destination. Well, the Black Pearl wasn't the ship to be firing on if you were British. In fact, she wasn't the ship to see if you were British. Being the fastest ship in the Caribbean did have its benefits.

He collapsed the small telescope and turned his course away from the one the British ship was on. Their vessels weren't going to meet if Jack could help it. After all, even the Pearl couldn't take on an entire fleet of merchant ships.

"Take her to Starboard Bow," he yelled, and the crew swung the sails around, taking the ship in a different direction.

They continued for a while in that direction, but the merchant ship seemed intent on going wherever they went. One thing was for sure, however; the other ships that he'd counted on weren't there. So they were sailing alone... Jack stared at the other ship, his eyes narrowing at the blue, red and white flag that still waved at them.

"They want pirates, we'll give 'em pirates," he muttered to himself, letting a slight grin take over his face. "Take the Pearl up alongside her. I want to see what this one has to say."

The crew obeyed; they knew what he had planned. It was already obvious what the British vessel had planned; but then again, they probably weren't ready for what the pirates aboard the legendary ship had in mind. So they had the upper hand.

The two ships danced toward each other in the sparkling waters, each churning up foam in its wake. Finally, they faced each other, and the captain of the pirate ship leaned against the helm.

"I suggest that whatever you were planning to do with my ship be forgotten and you sail along on your merry way. Otherwise, I shall have to hold your captain until everything aboard your ship be plundered to our satisfaction."

Corinne crept up the stairs to the deck, watching what was going on. Pirates! She would have spat in disgust but it wasn't proper. Now the crew was laughing. Why were they laughing?

"You want our captain, you come an' get 'im!" one of the men jeered. "Unless you'd like me to hold a pistol to 'is head."

Corinne spotted something on the deck near the edge...it was white and...it was her handkerchief! She must have dropped it while she'd been up here earlier. She saw that one of the men was standing close by and he might step on it...so she walked up and bent over to pick it up, pushing him out of the way. But the pirate's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Or she will do." Suddenly, a man hauled himself over the side of the ship and grabbed her, getting her soaking wet and holding her tightly with one arm behind her back. Corinne heard the click of a pistol next to her ear. The pirate who'd grabbed hold of her whispered in her other ear.

"Just go along with us, and you won't get hurt. Now, turn around slowly." Corinne, shaking with fear, turned to face the shocked crewmembers. Clearly, this hadn't occurred to their small brains.

"Now, as I said before, if you'd only cooperated and kindly adjusted your course, none of this would have had to happen. But it's too late now..." he nodded to his crew, and they swung across onto the British vessel. "Here's our deal. You let us take whatever we want, and the lady remains unharmed."

"Do what he says, you louts!" she cried. "You don't want to get me killed, do you?"

The men looked at one another. They were, in fact, not sure if it truly bothered them. But the captain's cabin door swung open, and he glared at his men. They straightened up. "The lady will remain unharmed, and my men will do whatever is necessary to ensure that. I was given strict orders to make sure she arrived safely." The captain finally looked up at his pirate adversary...and took a second look.

"Jack?"

The pirate grinned. "Benjamin. Been awhile since we were up against each other, wouldn't you say?"

"I'd say it's been ten years."

"Not much has changed since then, eh?"

"No, Jack. Not much."

The pirates opened the cabin doors and checked out what was inside; Corinne watched in horror and rage as they carried off her trunks. She trembled angrily as a woman pirate – certainly no lady – strapped ropes around it and sent it to the other ship.

One of the men pointed to a crewman who had recently been issued new arms – right before this voyage, actually. "I like that pistol." He remarked nonchalantly. The captain motioned to his crewman, who gave him a strange look and handed the pirate his gun. "Thanks," replied the scalawag, offering a yellowed smile before grabbing a rope and swinging back to his ship.

"Okay, men, that's about enough. I'd burn this ship but the captain and I go way back. I want to make sure to get him on the way out of Port Royale, too." Sparrow tossed a roguish grin in the direction of the English vessel and bid his men return to the Pearl.

Corinne hardly realized what was happening until the pirate who held her tightened his grip. "Hold on, missy. We're goin' for a ride, and I'd hate to see ya get wet."

"I already am wet," she wailed, pouting.

"Shet up and hang on," he replied, and she held on for dear life as he took hold of his own rope and suddenly they were airborne. She felt sick when she looked down at the water; but then there was a sharp jerk and they were on the deck of the pirate ship.

Captain Jack – he looked dirtier up close – bowed low to the British ship and ordered his men to set sail. Corinne ran to the portside edge and a look of terror crossed her face – they weren't returning her to her ship!

"That's right, miss, you're our insurance that they won't fire on us." The first mate growled. She watched, panic-stricken, as the English ship grew smaller and smaller...

"Take her to the hold for now," the captain said, and suddenly she was seized by strong arms and lifted into the belly of the ship.

"You behave now, miss," one of them admonished, looking mock serious before they placed the grate over the trap door. And Corinne was in darkness.