well hello kiddies!! it's been awhile since i've decided to post anything...i haven't really come up with anything worth posting...until NOW that is!! this, dear ones, is my pirate story. rejoice!! i've actually had the ideas in my head pretty much right after i saw the movie, and up until two days ago i was too stupid to realize i could actually make it into a fanfic. so, here ya go. basically the story is about my occ katrina who falls in love with jack sparrow and....yeah. oh! she's also the niece of barbossa...just so ya know. okay, i think i'll let you read the story now. i know you want to. ^_~

disclaimer crap: i don't own pirates *blah blah blah* i really want to, though. oh well. sucks for me. but alas, i must say i do own my occ. take her and i'll be, well, forced to hunt you down. have a nice day ^^
Prologue


The darkness was tinted with an orange glow as the fire rages on. The people had scattered; disallusioned and fear-ridden they had become, shouting orders, threats, and obsenities back and forth to one another, trying to find a way to end the conflagration they had helped to begin. In the midst of it all was Christian Barbossa, haunching over his wife and young daughter to protect them from the heat of the flame.

There was a loud crack as the balcony from the burning tavern collapsed from the main structure. Christian's wife, Natalie, yelped out in fear as the balcony smashed against the ground, sending a tremor through the ash covered earth. He placed a hand on Natalie's shaking shoulder and said in a voice barely audible over the chaos that surrounded them, "C'mon, we have to move now. That blaze is moving too fast."

And he was telling the truth. Already had the fire consumed four of the buildings in the surrounding area, and showed no sign of stopping any time soon. Natalie nodded and clasped their daughter, who seemed undaunted by the whole situation, close to her breast. Christian helped his wife to her feet before observing the area around their position. He realized with sinking hope that they were boxed in my a myriad of obstacles. To their right was the fire, to their left a meaningless but dangerous brawl that had broken out among some men, to the back the fire had begun to eat its way along the homes and other various establishments, and to the front there lay a straight line of oncoming Royal Navy officers, the last people who Christian wanted to see. Unfortunately, the only logical way to go, was to the front, Christian steeled his will for it.

Pressing his hands down on his wife's shoulders, he guided her forward, making sure to steer clear of the bullets and collapsing wood. Luckily, it wasn't that hard for them to pass the guards unoticed, for they were too busy dealing with the bigger problem at hand. Walking as quickly as they could, Christian guided them down the stony path that led away from the chaos of the fire, but led straight into the chaos that was the rest of the town.

More men of the Royal Navy were lining the street in packs, one half racing to the blaze while the remaining tended to the numerous uprisings that had begun. Christian cursed to himself when he saw more of the guards, and frantically searched the area for a place they could hide temporarily.

"Christian, over there."

He followed Natalie's pointed finger to a large cart carrying quite a few barrels of wine. He nodded in resolution and they sped towards it, finding quite a nice resting place behind it. Letting go of Natalie's shoulders, he watched as she took a seat on a large stone, holding their daughter firmly in her lap. He turned from them and took a precarious look around the side of the cart, making sure there was nothing happening or anyone coming that may intend to do them harm. Thankfully at that moment, there was none.

Sighing with temporary relief, he turned back to kneel beside his wife. "Are you alright?"

"Stop worryin' about me and take your daughter," she said in an unusually strained voice as she lifted the little girl up towards her father.

Christian took her delicately from her mother's arms, smoothing her hair as he did so. "Is Katrina okay?"

Natalie gazed at him with the big green eyes he loved so much. "Considering what's happened, Christian, do you think she's okay?"

At that moment, Katrina rotated her head to get a better view of her mother. "That isn't true, Mummy. I'm not scared."

"That's my brave girl," Christian whispered to her softly, kissing the top of her forehead and setting her down in front of him. Now with grave countenance, he looked deeply into the grey eyes she had inherited from him, and brushed a black of hair away from her dirt covered face. Unlike most children, who would have without doubt been terrified, Katrina remained as calm and as poised as if this was just another day for a walk. There was not a trace of fear or confusion anywhere to be found on her. Christian sighed again before cupping his hands around her cheeks.

"Now listen to me, Trina," he told her softly. "Everything's gonna be just fine, alright? Mummy and Daddy are going to take you to Uncle Barbossa's house." He paused. "Do you remember your Uncle Barbossa?"

A pout set in on her face, and the six-year-old "mmm-hmmed" in response. Despite himself, Christian could feel tears beginning to sting the back of his eyes.

"Good lass," he said, patting the top of her matted black mess of hair. "Your uncle's a good man. He'll take care of you."

Katrina's small brows furrowed. "But you won't leave me there for as long as ya did last time, right? I don't like the inn very much; it smells funny and scary men get drunk and start saying things."

Not daring to make eye contact with Natalie, Christian simply smiled. "Course I won't. Wouldn't want those scary men to start saying things I wouldn't want my little girl to hear." She smiled back at him, a simple yet mischievious smile, and Christian felt his heart take on a dangerous weight. He hated lying to her, but how could he possibly let her know that he and Natalie wouldn't be coming back for her this time?

"Right then," he exclaimed as cheerfully as he dared. "Go and rouse your mother, Trina. Then we'll be on our way." He pushed her along lightly just to get her started and climbed to his feet. He watched for a moment as she prodded her mother's shoulder and said "Daddy says it's time to go, Mummy. You have to get up now." And even though Natalie responded positively to her daughter, Christian could tell she was trying to rid herself of all emotion. She was preparing herself, Christian knew, for the ultimate parting, and he also knew that soon he would need to do the same.

He peeked around the cart again for any signs of changes in activity. Four soldiers marched by at a quickening pace, forcing Christian to pull his head back slightly to deminish the chance of them noticing him. He then signaled to Natalie, who within seconds was by his side with Katrina once again in her arms.

At the right moment, they left their position behind the cart and hurried down the cobbled street to their right. Recognizing where they were, Christian led them far to the east of the fire, along the dark coastline. They walked at a continued pace in complete silence for no longer than ten minutes until the sound of pattering feet and low voices made the hair on the back of Christian's neck stand on end. Though their destination was close, he wondered whether they should take more time to hide again, just to be safe. It was possible that the Navy was close on their heels, and he couldn't risk being caught. Not with Katrina there.

He suddenly felt a hand connect with and squeeze his own. Looking to the side, he saw Natalie staring at him with those beautiful green eyes. She had put Katrina down, and was now clasping her hand as well. She leaned close to his face to whisper words that were hopefully inaudible to their daughter.

"We're almost there. I can see your brother's inn from here." She gestured to a cozy looking establishment just below the hill they were currently standing on. "Let's not waste more time. I reckon the King's men'll be out for us now." She sqeezed his hand tighter. "Our daughter must be safe."

Filled with new resolve, Christian agreed. Yes. . .Katrina must be saved at all costs. Perhaps his brother truely would be able to give her the life Christian himself could never offer.

The family pressed on now with greater speed. The inn became larger and clearer, and it wasn't long before they were standing right in front of its door. Christian knelt down to Katrina, who had let go of her mother's hand. He reached inside his jacket and pulled from within a tattered piece of folded paper. With solemn an expression, he handed it to Katrina.

"What's this for, Dad?" she questioned, her young and curious eyes observing the paper suspiciously.

"That's for your uncle," Christian told her. "You have to promise me that you'll give it to him as soon as you see him, alright?"

"'Kay," the girl answered simply. Christian grinned and kissed her lightly on the forehead. He then retreated back to allow Natalie to say final farewell.

"My little baby girl. . . ." Natalie's voice was cracked with sorrow and tears had begun to flow.

"Don't worry, Mummy. I promise I'll be good for Uncle Barbossa," Katrina soothed her ignorantly. To her, it was just another trip to Uncle's house. Never had it occurred to her that this particular trip would be a permanent one.

Natalie forced a small laugh and stroked her daughter's hair. "You'll have to be, won't you?" she joked. "I daresay your uncle won't have you jumpin' around in mud puddles, now will he?"

Katrina gave her mother the childish frown that was so common with her. "I swears I don't do it anymore, Mum! I really don't!"

Natalie laughed again. "I know, lass. I know. . . ." The laugh quickly turned into a sob, and more tears threatened to surface. Natalie forced herself away before Katrina could see them and went straight into the arms of her husband.

As Christian held his grief-stricken wife, he spoke to his daughter for the last time. "Now, when you go in there, you ask for Barbossa and no one else. And don't you be taking no for an answer." He paused as he watched her take in the information. "And remember what I've told you before: You can always take what you can, Trina, but you'll never get enough to give anything back."

Katrina acknowledged her father's words, and before stepping up to the door, waved frantically at her parents who were receding into the shadows. They watched her knock on the door with a tiny fist. It immediately swung open to reveal a man of massive physique, who looked monstrous even to Christian, let alone the six year old child standing before him.

"I'm here to see Barbossa," she remarked in a tone quite uncommon with children under ten.

The man looked down at her and sneered. "And what business would a little twirp such as yourself have with Barbossa?"

"My business in none of yours. And if you try and get in my way, I'll have your guts for garters."

Christian felt his heart swell as he watched the man at the door hesitate. To think that one with such a large size could be intimidated by such a little girl was comical, and Christian was proud to think that it was his own flesh and blood doing the intimidating, no matter what the size.

"Aye, let the brat in, Murdock."

Murdock glanced behind him, apparently at the owner of the voice, before stepping aside to allow Katrina in. Then he shut the door, and Katrina was lost to them forever.

Take care of her, brother, Christian thought to himself. I'll never forgive you if you don't.

"Christian!"

Natalie's cry shook him to his senses, and from there it took him no time at all to realize that they were completely surrounded by at least ten officiers of the Royal Navy, all with their rifles aimed and ready to fire.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" A haughty looking man adorned with the mark of a luitenant stepped out amongst the bodies and raised guns. "If it isn't Barbossa and company. My the things you two have put us through."

Even in those last fleeting moments, Christian felt a small twinge of hope. The luitenant had only said two. That meant he didn't know. . . . Trina was safe. . . .

Before he had realized what was happening, Natalie had left his side and was charging full speed at the luitenant. Christian's heart lept into his throat as he watched the man unsheath his sword and aimed it straight ahead. . . .

"Natalie! NO!"

But the warning had come too late. By the time he had screamed the words, Natalie's frail body had been completely impaled. Her blood dripped from the wound and onto the ground, staining it a dark crimson. Christian's mind became instantly blurred with rage. He barely saw the luitenant twist his wife off the blade, the blade that was now saturated with her blood. He never felt his feet leave the ground as he rushed forward to attack, and he never heard at all the word that would end his life:

"FIRE!"

Bullets from all directions dived into Christian's body, penetrating his flesh and eating through his vital organs. As he fell to his knees, he saw through blood-shot eyes the figure of the man who had murdered his wife, and who was now about to murder him. Christian's chest heaved with pain as the luitenant held a pistol between his eyes. He could hardly make out the sinister smirk that had spread across the man's face.

"How fitting an end for you. Pirate."

A final shot was fired, and Christian Barbossa was dead before he could see the beautiful green eyes he had loved so much fade into oblivion.

~*~


Barbossa had heard the gun shots, but chose to ignore them. "Just another villain gettin' what he deserves," he told his customers, who had been troubled by the sound and were now settling down again. His niece, however, still looked at him with a skeptical eye.

"A villain? Like the ones in those fairy tales who breath fire and all that?"

"Aye, them be the ones," Barbossa answered her, expecting it to put an end to the topic. He had apparently forgotton about Katrina's inquisitive nature.

"My nanny told me people like that don't exist. So you must be lying, mustn't you?"

Barbossa spun around to look down upon her small and skinny frame. She was a pretty little girl, to be sure, though at the moment it looked as if she hadn't eaten in days, and the harsh blackness of her hair wildly contrasted with her pale complexion. Her most distinguishing feature, however, was the cold, menacing grey of her eyes, a grey which she had received from her father. A grey which Barbossa knew all too well.

So tell me, child," he said after a moment. "How old ye be now? Four? Five?"

Her beady eyes narrowed. "I'm six and a half."

He grinned. "Ah, so you're a big girl, are ye?" He paused to allow himself to kneel down to her level. "And eh, do ye believe everthing this nanny of yours tells ye, hmm?"

Though her uncle was now intimidatingly close to her, Katrina firmly held her ground. "I'm not stupid, Uncle Barbossa. You're not 'sposed to believe everything you hear."

"Aye! A smart lass if ever I saw one! Murdock!"

The large man named Murdock who had opened the door to Katrina came bumbling round the corner from the kitchen. "Yessir?"

"Bring a drink and some food for our little miss here."

"Yessir," Murdock repeated, and continued to round back to the kitchen.

Barbossa swung up to his feet and snatched a stool from a nearby vacant table. He placed it in front of Katrina and bade her to sit, which she did without question. He grabbed another stool for himself and took a seat. By that time, Murdock had returned carrying a tray which had a small cup of water and a plate with a serving of bread and a few slices of ham on top of it. He handed them to Katrina, who turned out to be hungrier than Barbossa had thought. Within seconds the plate was clean and the water was gulped down to the very last drop. He signaled to Murdock to bring her another helping, and watched the giant bustle off again. As they sat waiting for Murdock to return, Katrina began to swing her legs back and forth from the stool. Barbossa took to observing her closely.

"Ye alright there, lass?"

"I'm fine," was the answer. "And stop callin' me 'lass'. My name's Trina. Katrina to you."

"Yes, I know that. And me apologies, Miss Katrina, I meant no harm."

"Why do you talk so funny?"

"How do ye mean?"

"I mean like that. Dad didn't talk like that."

Murdock returned then with Katrina's seconds, which she took from him contentedly. Eating more slowly this time, she went on with her mini interrogation.

"So what was in that paper anyway?"

Barbossa raised an eyebrow and played dumb. "What paper?"

"The paper I gave to you. The one from Dad."

He felt a sudden queasyness fill the pit of his stomach. How was he supposed to tell her that contained within that paper was the confessions of her father, saying in his own words how he and Natalie would die that night, and probably already were? No, there was no way. She was far too young to hear such a thing. Far, far too young.

"Oh nothing that should concern ye, Miss," he lied. "Just detailed instructions on how to care for ye."

"I see," Katrina acknowledged, munching on a piece of bread. "There wasn't anything in there about mud puddles, was there?"

His brows furrowed in pretend thought. "No. . .no I don't recall nothing about no mud."

A wave of relief seemed to sweep over Katrina's pale face. "Well, that's good then. . . ." Her mouth opened wide in a yawn, and her small eyelids began to droop. Barbossa took these as signs that it was high time for bed.

"Alright, c'mon Miss. Time for you to get some sleep now."

Gently he bent down and lifted her into his arms. He was taken slightly aback at how weightless she was. Damn Christian, he thought sadly. Did ye not feed the child?

The walk to the upstairs rooms was a slow one, for Katrina was falling asleep rather quickly on Barbossa's shoulder, and he didn't want to disturb her too much. Luckily there were several vacances that night, and Barbossa was able to put her in the room closest to his. He layed her down softly on the mattress, the bed barely creaking under her weight. By the time Barbossa had tucked her tightly in with the blankets, Katrina was dead asleep.

He stooped to kiss her forehead before blowing out the candle just above the bed. He then went to exit the room, but stopped and watched her sleep for a moment before he left completely. As he watched her, an overwhelming pity for the child consumed him. She had just lost both parents in a single night. Without her knowledge, or her consent, the world she had once known was turned upside down, with no possible hope of bringing it right side up again. Barbossa's only wish was to give that girl the life his brother wanted to give her, but was denied the chance to.

A/N: oh boy that was unnecessarily long! oh well, sucks for me. and hey, if you've gotten down here, then congrats! you have successfully finished the prologue!! er, mind the typos just in case there are any. i'm tired and i think i'm getting sick so i really don't have the patience to go over it at the moment. i'm currently writing the first chapter, and if ya'll like it, i'll post it! actually, i'll probably post it anyway, but i would prefer to post it with the backing of my readers (and reviewers!!!). so until next time folks...bai bai!!
-Meru