There was talking. Louder and louder it grew, until I could finally hear every word. "So, what should we do with her?" I assumed they were referring to me. Their voices were gruff, and the floor was rocking, though ever so slightly. I had no strength to move, not even enough to open my eyes.

I suddenly remembered what had happened, well, part of it. I had wanted to sail out to sea, just a day's sail, to be alone after the fight with my mom. I just needed some time, and I loved the sea. I remember being out there, in the sea, peaceful, then…….blackness. "Jack, I think she's awakening."

"Finally, I was beginning to worry." This voice sounded softer, although obviously drunk. He whispered something, and footsteps started to clear away, as the room emptied out. Then all that was left was him. I struggled to open my eyes, but finally I summoned enough strength.

The room was dimly lit, and was wood. Strange. I realized I was in a hammock, quickly drawn up. There were bottles scattered across the floor. From what I could tell they were rum bottles. But what popped out at me most was the man sitting there.

He was obviously a pirate. He was moderate height, and was wearing a worn leather coat, a tricorn hat, (once again leather) and leather boots. He had braided dreadlocks with all kinds of knick-knacks. Beads, more beads, and from what I could make out, a shinbone. His face was tanned, from both sun and the sweat and filth covering his face. His eyes were a deep deep brown and they were lined with kohl. Something marked me as familiar, but…I hadn't met this man before. He was a pirate. I've never met a pirate….right?

In the midst of all this, I realized where I was. I was on a ship, in the middle of heck knows where, in the hands of a pirate! I was frightened, and I wanted to leave. The man, whoever he was, wasn't paying attention, and now was my chance to escape. Before I knew what I was doing, I leapt up from the hammock. Or, at least, that's what I tried to do. Instead, I made it a quarter the way up and fell back, from both exhaustion and pain. At this point the man took notice of me.

"….What are you doing?" he asked, with a smirk on his face.

"Trying to leave." I could barely talk. Never had I felt this useless, and I hated it. "Who are you, anyways?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow, of course. Have you not heard of me?" So he really was real. And I was on his ship.

"That must mean I am on the Black Pearl than doesn't it?"

"Right you are. And who may you be?"

"Nicole Adams." With that he smiled, not a smirk, but a smile. In a way, it scared me.

"Oh, yes, sorry, I completely forgot. Are you ok, are you hurt?" I decided to bluff; I didn't want to sound weak. That's the last thing I wanted, to have a pirate think I'm at his mercy. Truth was, I was tired, I was sore, and I could barely move. It felt like I broke my wrist too.

"Um…yes, yes I'm fine…thanks anyways." He laughed.

"Ok...what hurts?" Apparently I was a bad bluffer.

"…Nothing, I'm fine….ok my wrist." He took my wrist and stared. "Yes I know; the birthmark. It's in the shape of a bird," I said. He then proceeded to tear a strip of his shirt off and wrap my wrist. Maybe he wasn't so bad.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Over time I recovered. I also had the chance to get to know Jack and the crew. I never really thought of home, or anything like that, until now. I guess I was just so caught up in this whole thing that I never really stopped and thought about. Maybe this is what journals are for, really thinking about what's going on. Jack won't tell me what happened, or why he looked at me the way he did that night when he rescued me. Every time I ask him he either won't answer or he comes up with some excuse. "I was…erm…drunk." Or "You reminded me of someone." Excuses, excuses.

The crew is a good, loyal crew, and rather amusing too. Gibbs is especially funny. He is always telling faraway legends and myths and tales, scaring the crew. Jack and Annamaria always roll their eyes and Jack summons the crew back to work. Annamaria and Jack seem to have something against each other, but he won't tell me about that either. He seems to like keeping things to himself. Ah, well, I better get back to the deck. Jack is teaching me about the sails and ship terms. I'm clueless in that area.

That was the first time I wrote in a journal. I don't know why, I had so many blank books at my house to write in. At the same time, what did I have to write about, my big adventure eating cereal?

Jack taught me the way of the sails, what to do in certain situations, and what to call everything. I like that he's teaching me, but I sometimes wonder why. Am I part of the crew now? If so, I wouldn't mind. I always have loved the sea, and have always wanted to feel free as a bird, just like I do now.

"Aye, he's at it again" Jack told me. Gibbs was telling more tall seafaring tales. Again. This time it was about some "treacherous" storm coming our way. Gibbs, Gibbs. It was a regular day though. The usual: cleaning the ship, talking, Jack and his rum bottles. The way it went every day, until that night.

Jack watched as I stared at the birds nest. "Do you wanna try it? You know, go up there," he had asked. I smiled from ear to ear. Truth was, as soon as Jack started teaching me about his ship, I wondered what it was like up there. So he took me up. It was beautiful, and the sun was setting. The sky was painted with streaks of crimson, gold, scarlet, and rose.

"It's amazing," was all I could say.

"It is, isn't it?" There was a silence. Finally Jack broke it. "Happy Birthday Nicole."

"Today isn't my birthday."

"Today is your real birthday." He has to be drunk, was all I could say to myself. My birthday was in August. It was June. He went on. "It's a long story. But before that, I must ask. How's Maria?"

"Who's…?"

"I mean your mother. How's your mother?"

"Good. How did you know her name?"

"Again, long story. But, then again, I have time…"

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"So I'm sitting in the bar, ordering me 3rd…or was it 5th…bottle of rum. Then I saw her. She was tall, with brown curly hair cascading down. She was beautiful. I got up, summoned me strength, and talked to her. I fell in love with her, and took her to this very spot. She was sweet, so very sweet, and smart. She was exciting, and most of all, curious. Oh, I could just sit here for the rest of the night and think of her. Her name was Gabriella. I fell for her, she fell for me. So, we decided to be with each other. At the time, I had many…well…lets just say they weren't acquaintances. I didn't want anyone to know I was with her, otherwise someone might hurt her. We were together for awhile, then decided to have a child."

"Finally, the day comes and she gives birth to a small girl with Gabriella's brown hair, and my brown eyes. We decided to name her Nicole." When Jack paused, I went to take a breath in, but I couldn't. This couldn't be. Me, Jack's daughter, it couldn't be. Me, the daughter of a pirate. I let him go on.

"I loved her, with all my heart. It had been four days since she was born, and it was sunny. You know, regular day. The crew hadn't found out I had a daughter yet. I had lied and said Gabriella had caught the flu and had to stay in her cabin. Suddenly I heard a shout from one of the crewmembers. There was a strange ship on the horizon, with blood red sails. And on the sail, was a black heart. And it was coming for us. Gabriella peeked outside the cabin, and went pale. All she said was "hide Nicole." I knew she was dead serious so I hid her in a place only I knew about. By then the ship was a yard away and the captain swung over on a rope. I heard Gabriella whisper "Captain Neville" through gritted teeth."

"He smiled a menacing smile, and Gabriella shouted to me."

"Jack, I've got this."

"So I went off under the deck, but I kept a watchful eye. He muttered something about 'too long he's waited' or something. Then he took her. He swept her away before I even had a chance to get on deck. At that moment I knew her fate, though I waited. We couldn't catch up with the ship; all we could do was wait. Then I heard it. A scream in the evening, shattering all thought He took a sigh, and went on. "Once I lost Gabriella, I knew I had to do something. It was too dangerous for you, and I didn't want to lose you too. At least if I gave you to someone else, I could sleep knowing you are safe. So I took you to Tia Dalma, she owed me a favor. There, she gave you that mark, so if I ever met you, I'd know for sure it was you. Then I gave you to Maria."

All I could ask was, "So today is my real birthday?"

"Yes."

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

So here I am, writing in my journal again. This time, apparently, 17. I still can't believe it. Jack, my father? In a way though, it makes sense. My deep eyes, my love for the sea, the never-ending want for freedom alone, perfect sense. This must have been what my mother felt when she met Jack.

After I finished writing, I sat down and just stared at the moon. Even nighttime was beautiful. Jack was in his cabin thinking, remembering, and drinking. It must have been hard on him, losing his wife, then losing his daughter. And nobody knowing about any of it, having to keep it all a secret. I yawned, took one last glance at the shimmering stars, and went to my hammock.

On the way there, I saw Jack fumbling with a locket. It was silver, with engraved letters and roses, and had a name on it. He sighed, then pulled out a box. Also silver, it seemed to contain albums and paintings. One was of Jack, one of the Caribbean, one of the Pearl, and the rest were undecipherable in the dim light. As he picked up a portrait, he took a swig of rum. At that moment, I stepped on a creaky floorboard where I was hiding. Jack looked out suspiciously, paused, stared at his rum bottle curiously, and grabbed an apparently "new one".

The next few days were the usual, and Jack never brought up being my father again. Gibbs was still rambling on about the storm, but slowly all of us began to ignore it. One day, Annamaria treated me to a pillage in Tortuga. We took dresses and beautiful clothes, for mine were running thin. She also brought back some amazing food. Fish, quality bread, wine, chicken, cheese, and much more. She even brought my favorite; apples. While we ate the feast we concocted, a strange set of clouds began to roll in. I seemed to be the only one who noticed them too. So that night, after being convinced by Jack they were just clouds, we all went to bed with full stomachs, content, not knowing what was to come of the next day.

I awoke the next morning to rain pattering down on the dock. Just lightly though. Suddenly Gibbs started to get worried and frantic, obviously remembering the tall tale he had been telling earlier. "Oh boy…oh man…oh no…" He began pacing the deck, then started giving orders. "Take down those sails! Aye, you!"

"What the bloody hell?" Everyone stopped they're scurrying and climbing to see Jack watching. "Gibbs, what are you doing?"

"Preparing for the storm." Jack sighed.

"Must I have to tell you again, rain just so happens to be a common thing when you are completely surrounded by water. Aye? Anyways, do you really think this ship has never encountered 'a storm' before? As for the rest of you, back to work!"

The silence was soon broken by the sound of footsteps and people continuing their work. The rain continued to pour down throughout the day, getting stronger. Gibbs never stopped worrying, ignoring Jack's words. After helping clean the deck and check the sails, I decided to write a little bit in my journal. I headed down to my hammock and sat, planning what to write. I thought and thought, wrote and wrote, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

I woke to the sound of a sword being drawn. First I thought it was a dream, but it never rains in my dreams. Then I heard it again. I had known the sound from when I had done it myself. Back home, I secretly took lessons from the blacksmith nearby, and learned how to master a sword. I quietly rushed up the stairs and saw Jack tied up against the pole, almost helpless. "Not now, Nicole." he stuttered. The other man turned to face me. He had a black coat, a black hat trimmed with silver, and had short scraggly hair. His face was scarred and stern, and he stood tall with contempt.

"Who is she?"

"A girl I had rescued. She is staying with me until we reach England."

"Aww, how cute. Little Jack Sparrow, sailing the seas to save little children." he had said with a mocking voice. Then he turned to me and examined me up and down. While he did I turned to see Jack mouth the words "Captain Neville". I then realized what had happened. I knew what I had to do.

"How about a sword fight." I had said. "If anyone or anyone's sword goes over the edge of this ship, they lose. If you win, you get Jack. If I win, you leave and never see the likes of this ship again." Once again I turned to see Jack, this time hitting himself in the head saying: "Damn it, damn it, damn it...". Then the captain turned to me, and laughed.

"You, some girl, beat me, a captain, at a swordfight."

"Yes."

"Suit yourself." At that point, he unsheathed his sword, and I unsheathed Jack's. The battle had begun.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Swords flew. Left, right, up, left, down, right, block. The storm started to pick up. Darker it grew, until only lightning lit the night sky. Not one crewmember dared to step out on deck. I was pretending like I had never touched a sword before. The reasoning: let him have pity on me, then strike. The wind howled, and waves towered over onto the deck. Still the battle progressed. Finally I decided it was time to show him what I got.

I saw a hanging rope, and grabbed it. With it, I walked to one side of the deck, ran as fast as I could toward the other, and jumped. I swung back and forth, each time just missing the captain. Finally, I knocked him over. I leaped down, and put my sword next to his neck and said, "Had enough?" He was silent. I took my sword, and knocked his out of his hand. He then proceeded to trip me. He grabbed his sword and I leaped back up again. Once again, swords were flying.

Suddenly, I felt a searing pain in my right arm. I looked to see a clean cut across it. He laughed, but as he did, I knocked his sword out of his grip once again. But this time, I had it. I ran to the rail, and threw it overboard. "Oops, looks like you don't have a sword," I said. I walked toward him, sword out, until he hit the railing.

"Pirate," he had said.

"Thank you for noticing." With this, Jack grinned from ear to ear. I was a pirate, and it was time I started admitting it.

I untied Jack, but saved the rope. I wanted to throw Captain Neville over board, but Jack had a better idea. We tied him up, and took to a voyage to Isla de la Muerta. While tying him up, my arm started throbbing, and I remembered the cut. Jack noticed this, and once again tore a strip of his shirt and wound it around my arm. It would scar, but it would be a scar I was proud to carry.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

After the battle the crew had come out from beneath the decks with a shocked look on their faces. Up until now I had been some innocent sweet girl that Jack rescued. But not anymore. I heard some whispers of 'wow' passed around, but they were pretty much speechless. Jack was still smiling. Even I was.

At dinner though, everyone seemed to talk nonstop. I had several people ask me where I had learned to handle a sword so well. I told them how I met a blacksmith that lived a short was away from my home, and how I used to sneak out at night, just to learn a little bit.

Later on I went out onto the deck, and gazed at the stars, shining in the night sky. I could see them reflecting off the water, and it looked as though they shone brighter. It reminded me of home, when I could see them dancing on the surface of a nearby pond.

Home. I never really thought twice about it. I guess I was too caught up in the flow of pirates and a new father. In a way, I missed home. Ok, I really miss home. I miss my brother, and my mother. Well, I guess I could still call them that. It's what I've always known them by.

I wonder what my mom is thinking. After all, I've been gone for such a long time. And I left fighting with her, furious with her. Suddenly I felt something wet on my cheek. Angrily I wiped away the tear, and heard footsteps behind me.

Jack walked up to the railing beside me and stared at the sea. It was quiet for awhile, and then he spoke. "Thinking about home?" How come he always knew what I was thinking?

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"Lucky guess." After that there was some more silence. "I used to miss home when I first left. But then, I fell in love with the sea. It became my new home."

"What was your childhood like? Like, your parents?"

"That, is a story for another night." He smiled, winked, looked out at the sea once more, and went under the decks. Then I was left thinking of what he had said. When I really thought about it, this kind of was my new home. As much as I missed home, I wouldn't be able to leave the sea behind.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

I decided to head off to my hammock for some sleep. As I passed by the captain's cabin, I heard muffled whispers. I hid in the same spot as last time, keeping my eye open for the creaky board. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I could tell it was Jack and Mr. Gibbs. I decided to keep going, seeing s I couldn't hear anything anyways. But just as I left, so did Mr. Gibbs. He saw me and greeted me, "Hello, Miss Adams. Would you like to join me in a toast to tonight?" It seemed strange, but I obliged. He went off to the back to prepare some drinks and when he came back, he handed me my glass saying, "To piracy and victory!" At that I agreed, and drank. It was decent. Suddenly, a wave of exhaustion hit me. I decided to keep going to my hammock. By the time I lied down, I could barely keep my eyes open. Almost immediately, I drifted off to sleep.

When I awoke, the floor was no longer rocking. And I was on a bed. I opened my eyes. The room seemed strangely familiar. The cluttered dresser, the decorated mirror, the bouquet of flowers on the wall….suddenly a wave of understanding hit me. This was my room. Was this a dream? Was it all just a dream? "No," I told myself, "that had to be real. It was months. It all felt so real!"

I started panicking. I sprung up from my bed, and started pacing. After awhile I took notice to the candle lit beside my bed. I never went to bed with a candle lit. It's glow flickered across my bed and a…letter? Its ink was still drying. Immediately I ran to the letter. It was Jack's.

Nicole,

It was wrong of me to keep you out at sea. I placed you here for the same reason I did last time. You are at danger out at sea. Tonight has proven that. I will miss you dearly, and I love you.

With love,

Jack

Obviously it was written in a hurry, and very recently. Which meant he was probably still here. I walked downstairs, letter still in hand. I saw my mom sitting in a chair, watching the fire. When she saw me, she sprung up and ran at me and hugged me, tears running down her cheeks. I couldn't help myself. I broke down too. We stayed like that for awhile. Finally we broke apart, and I was the first one to speak. "I'm so sorry. When I left, I hadn't meant to be out there so long. It was just…" My mother held a hand out to stop me.

"Jack told me all of it... I missed you." She smiled, and the tears had somewhat subsided.

"I'm gonna go after him." There was a sort of strength in my voice. Silently she nodded. The tears started flowing again.

It killed me to leave her again, but this time I knew I had to. The sea was my home. And I'm sure Jack would take me back to let me see my mom sometimes.

"He just left. I think he went to the Faithful Bride. And Nicole, be careful. I'll miss you, and I love you. Always know that."

Before I left, I threw my arms around her one last time, and whispered, "I love you too." Then I set off to find Jack.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

At first, I thought I should check the docks. But when walking that way, I thought about it. Jack seemed upset in that letter. And that usually makes him drink. And the Faithful Bride was right down the street. It was much closer there, and I would have a better chance of finding Jack.

The Faithful Bride was somewhere I was never allowed to go near as a child. And now I know why. There were dunk sailors wandering the street, whistling and catcalling at me. When I walked into the bar, it was insanity. People wandering around, falling over each other, yelling, laughing, and playing some kind of dice game. Alongside the chaos was a table with two men. One was portly with gray hair, and one with dreadlocks and beads. "Oi, Gibbs, what did you use to spike my drink?!?" Immediately they both turned to see me grinning at them. "Thought I wouldn't come back?" Gibbs looked dumbfounded that I was already awake. Jack looked shocked, but I could tell he was secretly happy I came back. But either way they were both shocked I was there.

"The sea is my home. And I'm a pirate. Did you really think that knocking me out and writing a letter would keep me away form that?" At that Jack smiled another ear to ear grin.

"Welcome back Nicole." Then Jack waved me over for a round of drinks. (AN: I know she's underage, but she's a pirate.) Gibbs smiled, but still seemed surprised. Finally he spoke.

"You're a lot like Jack, you know."

"That's because she's my daughter."

This time I was the one giving Jack a shocked look. He had never told any of the crew that I was his daughter. Maybe he's drunk, I thought. But he held a completely sober face. Gibbs was even more surprised now, which I didn't think possible. He stared at me, then Jack. Then me again, then Jack, obviously comparing our appearance. After a while, We headed back to the Pearl. Jack tried to convince me to go back to where I was safe, but I silenced him with one look. The crew looked surprised I was back, but welcomed me with open arms. After raising anchor, we set sail. I was at home again.

I+ was by the railing again. The sea spraying my face seemed to be a welcome back. The sun was rising over the horizon, painting the sky once more. I walked up to Anna. "So, where are we sailing too?"

"Jack won't tell us. He said it's a surprise." She rolled her eyes at almost the exact same time as me, and we both laughed.