Anonymous
Chapter 1 - The Voyage
"So, what are you going to be doing tomorrow?" Jack Sparrow asked his first man. They were standing at the wheel of the ship, Will Turner steering, Jack looking aimlessly at his compass. They had been sailing for five months without stopping, living off stolen goods from raided ships and trading with fellow pirates, gold for rum. They were going to be mooring into R(ohacha port the next day, finally setting foot on land for the first time in ages. "I don't know yet. R(ohacha market is said to be full of lovely bargains at this time of year," the first man replied. "The American pirates selling their goods as quick as possible to catch the wind back home." The form of a figure appeared on deck; it was one of the sailors' daughter, incredulously named Storm which brought much amusement to the ship members. She had incredible dark brown hair, which hung in loose ringlets to mid- waist and mesmerising blue eyes. As the daughter of a sailor, she didn't have much and owned only two gowns, a hand-held mirror, a beautiful locket from her dying mother and a hairbrush. She didn't have any shoes and had to spend all her time going around barefoot, which was one of the reasons she generally stayed to her cabin and barely ever left the boat. Standing beside Storm was on of the boys of the crew, Francis. He was just a little smaller than Storm and nearer 18, Will being 22, Jack the oldest at 28 and Storm being 25. Jack had put together his crew from lots of different places on his voyages. He had twelve men in his crew including Storm, who sometimes had to help with ropes if they were short of staff. Jack Sparrow's first man was, of course, Will Turner, the second was Andrew Swann. After him came John, Archie, Phil, Tom, Simon, Laurie and Pike, whose real name was Kieran, but when he joined the Black Pearl crew, he had been found wandering the ocean in a small boat, containing only him and pike. There were also two cabin boys; Francis and another boy of 16, Eliot. They had come together, for the job and vowed not to leave one another behind, as they had been closest friends since birth. But they had a secret, one which wouldn't take Captain Jack Sparrow long to work out. "How has she been?" Sparrow asked. Will looked up, noticing Storm, as she proudly swatted Francis away. He was referring to the fact that she had been feeling slightly nauseous the day before and had fainted several times. Will had been appointed as the messenger of her state from Andrew (Storm's father) to Jack. "Well Swann told her to rest in her cabin for a few days, Captain, so it's my guess that she should be there now. I shall call Francis over to escort her back below deck." He spoke very properly especially for a pirate, but that was because of his upbringing, rather than his sudden change in career. Turner opened his mouth to call the cabin boy, when Jack raised a hand to silence him. "Let her enjoy the view. The fresh, salty sea air can't do any harm, and besides, it's so bloody freezing she won't want to stay long anyway." Jack couldn't take his eyes off her; the way Storm's hair blew back from her serene face, her blue gown pulled against her body. "You man the wheel, Will. I'll send Francis over to help." Sparrow said without taking his gaze off Storm as he walked towards her. Francis didn't need to be told to move as Jack joined Storm leaning against the rail of the boat watching the incredible sunset reflecting in the water. Instead he walked over and joined Will of his own accord. He had always gotten on well with Turner and often sought his company, which Will enjoyed, especially as he liked the idea of his own apparent follower. "The sunset is beautiful tonight," Francis said, looking out to the horizon. He had always spoken rather feminine words, but Will had put it down to the possibility that he was gay. "Easy weather to sail through too," Will replied. Ever since his father had died when he was 8 years of age, he had devoted his life to the sea, be it designing ships, studying winds or building up the strength to be a crewmember. He only ever though of the ocean's, not even women or alcohol could keep him from his voyages on the blue water. "So, we arrive at R(ohacha tomorrow morn." Francis said, after an awkward silence. "Indeed. If we sail all night we ought to get there before noon tomorrow." "Who's on night duty tonight?" Francis was trying to keep conversation going. He and Will had an odd relationship where in front of the captain they acted very much business like, but otherwise, they were very close friends. Will followed these rules much more closely than Francis, as he felt he had an important reputation to uphold in front of Captain Sparrow. "Archie, Phi and Laurie tonight." They took the night duty into three shifts with two men on each' one manning the wheel, the other taking the telescope up tot he nest on look out. "What are you planning on doing?" Francis asked. "Look Francis, I've told you before, we can't talk this openly in front of the captain. I'll come and find you later in your cabin and we'll talk then." And with that, Turner dismissed the boy, which managed to coincide perfectly with Storm's departure to go back to her own cabin.
Chapter 2 - R(ohacha
"Wow, so that's R(ohacha," exclaimed Eliot, looking over the figurehead at the front of the ship. All the crew were now on deck, as the iron hull guided itself into the pier, everyone having to offer a hand tying the boat up. It was now 11 am and everyone was raring to go. "Tom, Pike and John are gonna stay with the boat. The plan is thus," said Sparrow, standing very tall and powerful on the edge of the boat to prevent his crew from getting off until his speech had been heard, "we're all gonna do our own stuff today, then sleep overnight in the port, leaving for America tomorrow morning. You're not here by 7.30 tomorrow we leave without you. Savvy?" After several grunts and nods they disembarked and went their separate ways. As Will passed Jack, he pulled Turner over to the side and slipped him some money saying, "Go and buy something nice for Storm. I would but I'm intending to spend the day with her. Thanks Will, you're a good man." And with that, Sparrow walked away leaving Turner no time to object. "Take Eliot with you, he looks pretty dazed!" Sparrow shouted back. Eliot looked to Will, who nodded and they wet off as Jack descended the stairs below deck. "Storm," he called through the cabin door. He knocked three times and went in when no reply came, his excuse being his supposed worry of her state. "Yes?" she asked. She was sitting in front of a mirror (in fact the only one on the ship) and watching Jack's reflection as he entered, closing the door behind him, and taking a perch on the side of her bed.
"Aren't you going out, love? Enjoying the trip? Viewing R(ohacha?" he already knew the answer, but was trying a subtle approach. "I'm not feeling very well." Storm didn't like talking of her self- conscience feelings over her poverty. "You look gorgeous." Jack replied. "I'm too tired." "You seem wide-awake." "I don't have any shoes." "You can borrow my spare pair." Storm's attempt at telling the truth and him understanding failed. She had no more excuses so fifteen minutes later and they were walking down a narrow busy street, Storm in her old tattered yellow gown and Jack's old tattered black boots. "People are staring at em," she whispered to her companion. She was right of course, but Sparrow simply linked her arm through his and replied, "Because you're the only girl who could pull that outfit off!" As they came up to a pub, 'The Fat Duck', Jack turned to Storm and said, "I just need to sort out some business in here then we'll be on our way. Savvy?" She nodded and so they entered the dimly lit room. There was a wall covered in bottles and glasses on the back with a counter in front and a cheerful one-armed bartender looking very excited. The rest of the room was filled with wooden tables and chairs, all but three were completely full. They walked up to the bar and Sparrow ordered, "A large rum for me and something snazzy for the lady." Storm raised a hand and countered, "Make that two rums." "Oh, so you're a rum girl then, eh?" Jack asked, grinning at her. "Actually I just don't like 'snazzy' drinks," she said contemptuously, before turning and seating herself at one of the three tables. Jack would have joined her had he not been under strict instructions to wait at the bar. Storm barely even noticed as all her mind was on at that moment, was her uneasiness and fear at being in such a drunken, smoke filled place. Not long after they had received their drinks, a strange looking man came through the door, heading straight for Jack. He only had one eye and there was a scar running from the corner of his mouth to half way up his cheek. He had shoulder-length greasy brow locks and a lot of metal in his black mouth. His hands were small and withered and he had a very withdrawn look about him. In Storm's mind, this proved that Jack was up to something illegal, but then again, he usually was. They warily greeted each other and he introduced himself as Barbossa. A friend who had regularly done similar business with him had recommended him to Jack. Whilst their hushed discussion was commencing at the bar, Storm was feeling even more uncomfortable than before. At the table next to her sat three men, one of whom wouldn't stop staring at her. He kept asking if he could buy her a drink or if she'd like to join their table, both of which she continuously declined. They then all got up and sat at her table. Having consistently made sure they knew they were unwelcome with gestures and words, they then started getting aggressive. One man (the one who had been staring at her who had been called Diego by the others) put his hand on her thigh, which she briskly crushed off. She felt very uneasy and thought about calling Jack to help her out, but didn't want to seem so dependent and tried to handle it alone. When Diego's chum picked her up and sat her on his lap, she started to scream but was hurriedly gagged and dragged, kicking and screaming out the door. About fifteen minutes later, Jack was shaking Barbossa's hand and looking around for Storm. Knowing that she wouldn't have left without having told him, he kept searching, checking every table. He then muttered apologies to Barbossa before running out to find Will and Eliot.
Chapter 3 - The secret is out
"So, what do you think of this one?" Will asked, pointing out an amethyst dress to Eliot. He had no idea what he was supposed to look for in a dress, or anything about cuts, buttons, frills etcetera and was generally feeling a bit lost. "Will, I have something to tell you." Eliot replied, desire in his eyes to finally be free of the burden his secret held. "Silver's quite nice too though." Will was oblivious to Eliot, wanting to get away from the dress stall as soon as possible. "Listen, Will, it's important." "But I think the bows are just too much." "I'm not who you think I am." "Or pink. That's very feminine. Not that Storm's particularly feminine." "I'm a woman," Eliot blurted out. Will dropped the dress and bent down to retrieve it, then straightened again with an aghast look on his face. "Excuse me?" was all Will managed to get out. "I'm...I'm a ...a...girl." It was much harder now that she had Will's full attention. "Oh...right." He replied, in a bit of a daze. "ME and Francis."
Chapter 4 - HELP!
He was running through the streets madly. At one stage, Storm almost fell off his shoulder as he was jogging so much. She was still attempting to shout through the fabric stuffed in her mouth. She was fiercely holding back tears and squirming. Storm would have been pummelling the man but he held her hands with his behind her back.
Chapter 5 - Interruption
"That's probably the reason I could always talk to Francis," Will said. After a reasonably long discussion he was kind of getting used to the idea. "Francesca," Eliot replied. "What?" "Francis' real name is Francesca. And I'm Eleanor, but I prefer Eliot so call me either." "Right," Will replied. "So why are you pirates?" "Well we both grew up together around men who spoke...indecently of ladies. We decided we didn't want to become 'ladies' and be treated so disrespectfully. We told Francesca's father and he helped us to disguise ourselves as boys and live our dreams out in the sea. Captain Sparrow bought us as two young cabin boys and now we're here." "Okay, then," he said. "So Jack doesn't know then?" "No. As long as you don't tell him." She gave him a fearful look that begged him not to tell and he assured her he wouldn't. The suddenly, as they turned the corner, they saw a man running down the straight road in their direction. He had some bundle over his shoulder that was swishing around and Will thought he saw Jack's old black boot. "How about this one?" Eliot...Eleanor asked stroking an emerald green gown. She hadn't seen the scene Will had. He absent-mindedly turned his head towards Eleanor's choice and widened his eyes at the beauty of it. "Would you...erm...well could you...try it on?" he asked timidly. Eleanor nodded knowing that Will wasn't hitting on her, just she was the same height as Storm and the gown looked as if it would be too short. It turned out that in fact it fitted perfectly and just as Eleanor twirled again, Jack came running up, tapping Will impatiently on the shoulder. He then felt a large jolt against his back just before he fell to the ground, hitting his nose on leather. It was a shoe, attached to an ankle, which appeared to be reasonably well covered with a green gown. He followed the gown up, past the hips with an eager look about his face and looked with horror as his eyes met those of his very own cabin boy. Jack stood up hurriedly and turned to Will, screeching, "Why on earth did you dress the boy in a woman's gown?" Minutes later, when Jack had explained the situation to Will and Eleanor, and Will had realised that he had seen them all running past, they sped off in that general direction.
Chapter 6 - Strange places
"What's that?" She could hear the gruff voice of a man talking to her captor. "A girl. She can do it...if I get paid." "We already have enough girls here. I don't need any more government...people after me when rogues like you have kidnapped girls off the street." This appeared to be a very relaxed conversation considering Storm was still dangling over Diego's shoulder. "She's here now. One more isn't going to hurt." After a long pause, the man replied, "Fine, but this is the last time." Storm was slid off Diego's shoulder and passed over to the new man. She was then hurried through a door, still struggling, and led up some stairs.
Chapter 7 - More strange places
"Oh my God, that's her," Jack shouted as they ran towards a girl in a yellow gown. They all chased after her, Will in the lead, Eleanor just about keeping up and Jack lagging behind, the rum taking its toll. When Will tapped on her shoulder and she turned round, of course, it wasn't her. This happened many times, delaying them greatly, but when they finally saw Diego, Jack recognised him immediately from the tavern and went over to question him. "Where's Storm?" he gruffly asked. "Who?" Diego replied, genuinely confused. He hadn't caught her name before he swept her up. "The girl. Where is she?" "I don't know." A hand shot out from Jack, pinning Diego against the wall behind him by his neck. "Don't do this. You've got your gold. Where - is - the - girl?" It didn't take long for him to spill and he gave rough directions to Jack ads to her whereabouts. As they neared the building, he recognised it from his previous visits to R(ohacha...the brothel.
Chapter 8 - The great save
"Look, there's a girl here, where is she?" Will asked the woman behind the desk. "There are a lot of girls here, sir," she replied impatiently. "She's got long brown hair, medium height and came in wearing a yellow gown." "Room 8" "Thank you. Very much." Jack said. They started towards the door leading to the rooms. "I don't think so," she said and as they opened the door a large man moved to block the entrance. "You have to pay first." "Oh...yes, of course...right." Will replied, taking a bag of coins out from his pocket. "30 an hour," jack almost instantly replied. As soon as he realised what he'd said, he blushed and turned to look away from Will and Eleanor's startled expressions. He started muttering something about too much rum. When Will had given the money tot he woman, they all made for the door again, but were stopped by the lady. "You paid for one person, only one can enter," she explained. After much discussion, they all agreed that Jack should go through and Turner and Eleanor should meet them outside in an hour. So Jack finally got through the door and past the guard. He got to the narrow corridor, which was rather long and held entrances to many rooms. He found number 8 and knocked on the door. No answer came, so he opened the door. It was a rather large room, much more so than it seemed from the outside. It was decorated with rather loud reds and dark blacks and the sun streaming through the large window gave it a very gothic look. It didn't take long for Jack to notice the small figure huddled up in a corner. As the door had opened, she looked u and her teary eyes met those of her Captain Sparrow's. She had been stripped to a strapless blue and black corset and knickers and this made her seem even smaller and more timid a creature. She leapt up and ran over to Jack, throwing her arms round his neck and holding him tight, loving the feeling of assurance he brought to Storm. "Thank God it's you," she whispered against his shoulder, her body wracking with sobs of relief. "I was so scared." "It's okay. Don't worry, love," he replied soothingly. When they untangled themselves again, he whisked off his coat and draped it round Storm's shoulders. "So, how do we get out of here?" Jack said thoughtfully, as he realised he hadn't quiet formed a plan yet.
Ten minutes later found them standing in front of the brothel, having beaten up several security men, with Will and Eleanor, who Storm and Jack still thought was Eliot. It was now about 4 o'clock in the afternoon and they were all rather weary. They decided to head back to the Black Pearl but first Jack had to collect something from his friend in the bar. "No!" Storm said determinedly. "We've gotten into enough illegal trouble today. No more." He looked at her perplexingly. "I know that whatever your business is, it isn't legal." "No, you don't." Jack wasn't going to get angry, as Storm obviously didn't know what she was talking about, but she couldn't do. "Well, it's not legal." "Yes it is." "Oh." Now Storm was looking confused. "So what is it?" "RUM!" He shouted, a huge black toothless grin on his face
Chapter 9 - Love is in the air...
Jack didn't spend long at the inn, as he desperately wanted to get back to his beloved ship and check u on John, Pike and Tom. At about half past five, they managed to get back, although they had 16 bottles of rum to carry back. Jack managed to take 3, as he wanted to dance along the streets. Storm took two although Jack thought it inappropriate that she carried any of the rum. He tried to lay it all down on Eliot, but Will insisted on carrying as much as he could, leaving Eleanor with only 4, causing Jack and Storm much bemusement As they boarded the ship, Tom and John ran up to help with the luggage. They took the bottles to Jack's quarter's with help from Eleanor and Will. Eleanor then went to her cabin to rest and Will left to wait for Francesca to get back. Jack escorted Storm to her rooms, which she was very grateful for. "Are you feeling better?" he asked as he helped her to sit down on her bed. "Still a bit shaky, but better," she replied. Storm took the jacket off and handed it back to Jack before wrapping her bed-sheet around her shoulders like a cloak. Jack moved the stool from in front of her dressing table to sit opposite her, leaving his coat on a peg on the back of the door. "Ah, come here," he said, sitting down next to her and opening his arms to her. She laid her head on his shoulder as his arms enveloped her, holding her as she cried. Jack felt a strange protectiveness over her. "Thank you," she managed through tears. "For what?" Jack asked. "For saving my life...and for lending me your coat!" He chuckled lightly. "No problem, love." There was a knock on the door and Storm straightened up as Jack rose to answer it. "I thought you'd want this, Cap'n," said Will, holding out a small bundle. Jack instantly understood and thanked Turner greatly before closing the door again and turning back to Storm. "For you, milady," he said holding the tweed sacking out to her. She took it, a large smile passing over her face, before unwrapping the material from around another bundle of material inside. The second she saw the beautiful emerald green flashing out, she started laughing, pulling out the gown and raising it to her petite body. She instantly undid the lace at the back and pulled the dress on, still laughing and smiling like a little girl. Jack tied up the laces for her and she twirled around the room in front of him, glancing in the mirror to admire her reflection. The gown had a low square neck and tight sleeves until the elbow, where the flared out. It was a figure-hugging top and the skirt was very billowy and elegant. The dress was rather simple, yet absolutely perfect. Storm swung her arms round Jack's neck hugging him tightly. "Thank you so much. I don't know how to show you my gratitude," she said, gently pulling away. "I wanted you to have it," he replied, looking into her blue eyes, reminding him of his love for the sea and his love for... "Why?" she asked. "Because...I...Storm, I really like you," he brought his palm up to her cheek, his thumb brushing her cheekbone. Storm felt her breath catch in her throat at Jack's touch. She smiled up at him as he lowered his lips to hers as they welcomed their first kiss.
Chapter 10 - Hey, Why Stop There?
"Did you enjoy looking round R(ohacha, Francis?" Will asked, specifically stressing her name. He was trying to see how long it would take for her to finally admit to him that she was a girl. "Yes, I did. It's lovely there. Archie and I went to some shops and bought trinkets and books. You?" "Oh, are you with Archie then?" Will momentarily forgot that Francesca didn't know he knew she was a girl. "We're friends, yes," she replied. If anyone thought she was gay, which she wasn't of course, the penalty was severe. Unless she showed herself to be a woman, but that would have a penalty on it too. "Did you see any nice women?" Will was now having to resort to such boyishness manners. He hated talking about women as if they were statues, but he had to break her. "Will, don't be so stupid," Francesca replied, before getting up off her chair at the table and walking away.
"Will, get your scrawny little arse over here. We're sailing." Jack was a little drunk having started on the rum. He appeared at the top of the stairs and walked over to the wheel, Storm close behind him. They didn't want to leave each other's company anymore, not now, not ever. Turner got up form his seat and walked over, picking up the map on the table along the way. "Why are we sailing, Captain? I thought we were spending the night in this port." "Since we got into a little...trouble today, it'd be safer to sleep at a different port. We don't want any difficulty...well...not right now," Captain Jack Sparrow whispered the last sentence, swaying a little as he leant closer to Will. "Do you want a chair, Captain?" He really was swinging a lot now, enough to get Laurie's attention. "Don't be so nice, my boy. Pirates are cruel and harsh and feared by all men not so...great...great?...no, I mean powerful! Pirates are powerful!" And with that last defiant sentence, Jack fell over, clearly unconscious. Will stepped over his body leaving the others to help him up and took up his position. He was by now a very good sailor as Jack was often too drunk to stay in control of the Black Pearl. He found a little island, Isle la Tortuga, on the map and called Simon over to help him navigate. The other men took Jack down below deck with Eliot and Storm looking after him. When they arrived at Isle la Tortuga later that evening, it seemed empty. If there were any inhabitants they were obviously not on that side. The island was beautiful; turquoise waters glinting under the white sun, luscious green trees rocking in the light breeze, and beautiful red sand the colour of a warm terracotta still wonderfully hot from the day's sun. The men, excluding the ones who were already asleep on the ship (including Jack!) put together a very large fire on the beach with some kindle that must have dropped off the trees. Will wasn't in the mood for all of these merriments and didn't enjoy indulging on getting very drunk. He walked to the rear of the ship sand dangled his legs off the edge. He sat like this for a very long time thinking about every matter of concern in his life. He was very confused about his feelings towards Francesca. When he thought she was a boy, he was frightened that he loved, or at least really liked Francis. Then when he found out he was a girl, he instantly knew that they were in fact just really good friends. Now, Will didn't know what to think.
He slowly opened his eyes, looking around himself. There was a face right above him and something solid on his face...and a figure standing in the corner of his cabin. Jack Sparrow finally realised who they were when Storm asked him, "Are you feeling okay?" "Yeah, I think." He was still feeling a bit groggy and was drunk, but the horrible stomach-ache had gone, unfortunately leaving behind an even worse headache. He sat up sharply before realising that it was Eliot in the corner. He groaned in agony as his head sent him another surge of pain. "Could you give us a minute," Storm said looking over at Eliot. It was less of a plea and more of an order, which of course was carried out. "Oh, my poor darling. I know it hurts, but don't worry," Storm said sympathetically.
Eleanor entered her shared room, shutting the door behind herself. She slumped down on the bed before turning at the sound of a rustle. It was Francesca sitting on the floor, looking up and smiling about Eleanor. "Have you spoken to Will yet?" Eleanor asked her. "Not much. Why?" "Has he said anything odd to you?" "No. But why?" "Just wondering." "Okay then."
He could hear her coming up to him over the sound of the ocean. Francesca sat down beside Will and swung her legs over the side. They sat in silence for a little while, both very comfortable and relaxed. "I'm sorry I called you stupid," Francesca said, breaking the silence. "I'm sorry for being stupid." Another silence followed but this time they were smiling at each other. "Do you wanna go for a swim?" Will asked her, remembering his personal mission. He looked down into the sea below their feet before looking up again at Francesca. "Oh, no, I don't think so..." she started. "Come on, it'll be fun!" "No, I don't want..." "We haven't been in ages!" "Will, I really don't..." "But..." "No!" she stood up and turned, ready to walk away when Will calmly said, "I know you're a woman." He stood up and walked round to stand in front of her, facing the sea. She just about managed to get out a "What?" before Will dived at Francesca, hurling them both over the edge of the ship and into the sea. They went in really deep, completely immersed in the salty water before resurfacing seconds later. They looked at each other, Will swinging his hair back from his face, Francesca's face becoming ever angrier. "What on earth is wrong with you?" she screeched trying to push him away. "Why don't you tell me?" he was still smiling, pleased with himself. "Apparently I didn't need to." She was still kicking and screaming. "Why are you angry with me? Because I know?" "Yes...no...I DON'T KNOW!" she started crying now, a little overwhelmed and tired. "Come here," he said, opening his arms wide to her. Francesca fell into his embrace and lay her head against his chest. They were like this for a few minutes, when they started getting a little cold. "Why do you always help me? Why are you always there for me?" Francesca asked, looking into Will's intent gaze. "Because...Francesca, I..." he couldn't say it. Instead, he laced his hand around the back of her neck and lowered his lips to hers, shading her from the moonlight. It was only a light brush, as they had to tread water to keep their heads above. Will pulled away gently and took Francesca's hand in his own and dived underwater as they calmly swam to the beach shore. On arriving to an area reasonably far away form the rest of the crew, they settled down on the sand. Will took off his soaking wet white shirt and turned to Francesca, who was still gazing out to sea. He looked at her feminine frame sitting next to him. She had rather skinny legs and curvy hips covered by rather long dark grey breeches and her slight waist and muscular arms under her own white shirt. Francesca had a rather long neck and a stunning face with striking cheekbones, a small nose, an adorable permanent pout and beautiful big green eyes. Will had only just realised that he had never even seen the colour of her hair as she had always kept it under a large cap, sort of like a beret. HE stretched his hand out and took her cap off, releasing her golden hair, which was also still very damp. She turned to look at him and shuffled even closer to his side, running her hand along his back. After a little while, she turned and straddled Will, stroking his cheeks as he leant back on his hands. Francesca's beautiful hair hung forward brushing against his chest, which she was leaning on. She slowly leant forward, smiling at his beauty, and kissed his warm mouth, tasting the salt on his lips. "I love you," she whispered against his lips. "I love you too," came the faint reply.
Chapter 1 - The Voyage
"So, what are you going to be doing tomorrow?" Jack Sparrow asked his first man. They were standing at the wheel of the ship, Will Turner steering, Jack looking aimlessly at his compass. They had been sailing for five months without stopping, living off stolen goods from raided ships and trading with fellow pirates, gold for rum. They were going to be mooring into R(ohacha port the next day, finally setting foot on land for the first time in ages. "I don't know yet. R(ohacha market is said to be full of lovely bargains at this time of year," the first man replied. "The American pirates selling their goods as quick as possible to catch the wind back home." The form of a figure appeared on deck; it was one of the sailors' daughter, incredulously named Storm which brought much amusement to the ship members. She had incredible dark brown hair, which hung in loose ringlets to mid- waist and mesmerising blue eyes. As the daughter of a sailor, she didn't have much and owned only two gowns, a hand-held mirror, a beautiful locket from her dying mother and a hairbrush. She didn't have any shoes and had to spend all her time going around barefoot, which was one of the reasons she generally stayed to her cabin and barely ever left the boat. Standing beside Storm was on of the boys of the crew, Francis. He was just a little smaller than Storm and nearer 18, Will being 22, Jack the oldest at 28 and Storm being 25. Jack had put together his crew from lots of different places on his voyages. He had twelve men in his crew including Storm, who sometimes had to help with ropes if they were short of staff. Jack Sparrow's first man was, of course, Will Turner, the second was Andrew Swann. After him came John, Archie, Phil, Tom, Simon, Laurie and Pike, whose real name was Kieran, but when he joined the Black Pearl crew, he had been found wandering the ocean in a small boat, containing only him and pike. There were also two cabin boys; Francis and another boy of 16, Eliot. They had come together, for the job and vowed not to leave one another behind, as they had been closest friends since birth. But they had a secret, one which wouldn't take Captain Jack Sparrow long to work out. "How has she been?" Sparrow asked. Will looked up, noticing Storm, as she proudly swatted Francis away. He was referring to the fact that she had been feeling slightly nauseous the day before and had fainted several times. Will had been appointed as the messenger of her state from Andrew (Storm's father) to Jack. "Well Swann told her to rest in her cabin for a few days, Captain, so it's my guess that she should be there now. I shall call Francis over to escort her back below deck." He spoke very properly especially for a pirate, but that was because of his upbringing, rather than his sudden change in career. Turner opened his mouth to call the cabin boy, when Jack raised a hand to silence him. "Let her enjoy the view. The fresh, salty sea air can't do any harm, and besides, it's so bloody freezing she won't want to stay long anyway." Jack couldn't take his eyes off her; the way Storm's hair blew back from her serene face, her blue gown pulled against her body. "You man the wheel, Will. I'll send Francis over to help." Sparrow said without taking his gaze off Storm as he walked towards her. Francis didn't need to be told to move as Jack joined Storm leaning against the rail of the boat watching the incredible sunset reflecting in the water. Instead he walked over and joined Will of his own accord. He had always gotten on well with Turner and often sought his company, which Will enjoyed, especially as he liked the idea of his own apparent follower. "The sunset is beautiful tonight," Francis said, looking out to the horizon. He had always spoken rather feminine words, but Will had put it down to the possibility that he was gay. "Easy weather to sail through too," Will replied. Ever since his father had died when he was 8 years of age, he had devoted his life to the sea, be it designing ships, studying winds or building up the strength to be a crewmember. He only ever though of the ocean's, not even women or alcohol could keep him from his voyages on the blue water. "So, we arrive at R(ohacha tomorrow morn." Francis said, after an awkward silence. "Indeed. If we sail all night we ought to get there before noon tomorrow." "Who's on night duty tonight?" Francis was trying to keep conversation going. He and Will had an odd relationship where in front of the captain they acted very much business like, but otherwise, they were very close friends. Will followed these rules much more closely than Francis, as he felt he had an important reputation to uphold in front of Captain Sparrow. "Archie, Phi and Laurie tonight." They took the night duty into three shifts with two men on each' one manning the wheel, the other taking the telescope up tot he nest on look out. "What are you planning on doing?" Francis asked. "Look Francis, I've told you before, we can't talk this openly in front of the captain. I'll come and find you later in your cabin and we'll talk then." And with that, Turner dismissed the boy, which managed to coincide perfectly with Storm's departure to go back to her own cabin.
Chapter 2 - R(ohacha
"Wow, so that's R(ohacha," exclaimed Eliot, looking over the figurehead at the front of the ship. All the crew were now on deck, as the iron hull guided itself into the pier, everyone having to offer a hand tying the boat up. It was now 11 am and everyone was raring to go. "Tom, Pike and John are gonna stay with the boat. The plan is thus," said Sparrow, standing very tall and powerful on the edge of the boat to prevent his crew from getting off until his speech had been heard, "we're all gonna do our own stuff today, then sleep overnight in the port, leaving for America tomorrow morning. You're not here by 7.30 tomorrow we leave without you. Savvy?" After several grunts and nods they disembarked and went their separate ways. As Will passed Jack, he pulled Turner over to the side and slipped him some money saying, "Go and buy something nice for Storm. I would but I'm intending to spend the day with her. Thanks Will, you're a good man." And with that, Sparrow walked away leaving Turner no time to object. "Take Eliot with you, he looks pretty dazed!" Sparrow shouted back. Eliot looked to Will, who nodded and they wet off as Jack descended the stairs below deck. "Storm," he called through the cabin door. He knocked three times and went in when no reply came, his excuse being his supposed worry of her state. "Yes?" she asked. She was sitting in front of a mirror (in fact the only one on the ship) and watching Jack's reflection as he entered, closing the door behind him, and taking a perch on the side of her bed.
"Aren't you going out, love? Enjoying the trip? Viewing R(ohacha?" he already knew the answer, but was trying a subtle approach. "I'm not feeling very well." Storm didn't like talking of her self- conscience feelings over her poverty. "You look gorgeous." Jack replied. "I'm too tired." "You seem wide-awake." "I don't have any shoes." "You can borrow my spare pair." Storm's attempt at telling the truth and him understanding failed. She had no more excuses so fifteen minutes later and they were walking down a narrow busy street, Storm in her old tattered yellow gown and Jack's old tattered black boots. "People are staring at em," she whispered to her companion. She was right of course, but Sparrow simply linked her arm through his and replied, "Because you're the only girl who could pull that outfit off!" As they came up to a pub, 'The Fat Duck', Jack turned to Storm and said, "I just need to sort out some business in here then we'll be on our way. Savvy?" She nodded and so they entered the dimly lit room. There was a wall covered in bottles and glasses on the back with a counter in front and a cheerful one-armed bartender looking very excited. The rest of the room was filled with wooden tables and chairs, all but three were completely full. They walked up to the bar and Sparrow ordered, "A large rum for me and something snazzy for the lady." Storm raised a hand and countered, "Make that two rums." "Oh, so you're a rum girl then, eh?" Jack asked, grinning at her. "Actually I just don't like 'snazzy' drinks," she said contemptuously, before turning and seating herself at one of the three tables. Jack would have joined her had he not been under strict instructions to wait at the bar. Storm barely even noticed as all her mind was on at that moment, was her uneasiness and fear at being in such a drunken, smoke filled place. Not long after they had received their drinks, a strange looking man came through the door, heading straight for Jack. He only had one eye and there was a scar running from the corner of his mouth to half way up his cheek. He had shoulder-length greasy brow locks and a lot of metal in his black mouth. His hands were small and withered and he had a very withdrawn look about him. In Storm's mind, this proved that Jack was up to something illegal, but then again, he usually was. They warily greeted each other and he introduced himself as Barbossa. A friend who had regularly done similar business with him had recommended him to Jack. Whilst their hushed discussion was commencing at the bar, Storm was feeling even more uncomfortable than before. At the table next to her sat three men, one of whom wouldn't stop staring at her. He kept asking if he could buy her a drink or if she'd like to join their table, both of which she continuously declined. They then all got up and sat at her table. Having consistently made sure they knew they were unwelcome with gestures and words, they then started getting aggressive. One man (the one who had been staring at her who had been called Diego by the others) put his hand on her thigh, which she briskly crushed off. She felt very uneasy and thought about calling Jack to help her out, but didn't want to seem so dependent and tried to handle it alone. When Diego's chum picked her up and sat her on his lap, she started to scream but was hurriedly gagged and dragged, kicking and screaming out the door. About fifteen minutes later, Jack was shaking Barbossa's hand and looking around for Storm. Knowing that she wouldn't have left without having told him, he kept searching, checking every table. He then muttered apologies to Barbossa before running out to find Will and Eliot.
Chapter 3 - The secret is out
"So, what do you think of this one?" Will asked, pointing out an amethyst dress to Eliot. He had no idea what he was supposed to look for in a dress, or anything about cuts, buttons, frills etcetera and was generally feeling a bit lost. "Will, I have something to tell you." Eliot replied, desire in his eyes to finally be free of the burden his secret held. "Silver's quite nice too though." Will was oblivious to Eliot, wanting to get away from the dress stall as soon as possible. "Listen, Will, it's important." "But I think the bows are just too much." "I'm not who you think I am." "Or pink. That's very feminine. Not that Storm's particularly feminine." "I'm a woman," Eliot blurted out. Will dropped the dress and bent down to retrieve it, then straightened again with an aghast look on his face. "Excuse me?" was all Will managed to get out. "I'm...I'm a ...a...girl." It was much harder now that she had Will's full attention. "Oh...right." He replied, in a bit of a daze. "ME and Francis."
Chapter 4 - HELP!
He was running through the streets madly. At one stage, Storm almost fell off his shoulder as he was jogging so much. She was still attempting to shout through the fabric stuffed in her mouth. She was fiercely holding back tears and squirming. Storm would have been pummelling the man but he held her hands with his behind her back.
Chapter 5 - Interruption
"That's probably the reason I could always talk to Francis," Will said. After a reasonably long discussion he was kind of getting used to the idea. "Francesca," Eliot replied. "What?" "Francis' real name is Francesca. And I'm Eleanor, but I prefer Eliot so call me either." "Right," Will replied. "So why are you pirates?" "Well we both grew up together around men who spoke...indecently of ladies. We decided we didn't want to become 'ladies' and be treated so disrespectfully. We told Francesca's father and he helped us to disguise ourselves as boys and live our dreams out in the sea. Captain Sparrow bought us as two young cabin boys and now we're here." "Okay, then," he said. "So Jack doesn't know then?" "No. As long as you don't tell him." She gave him a fearful look that begged him not to tell and he assured her he wouldn't. The suddenly, as they turned the corner, they saw a man running down the straight road in their direction. He had some bundle over his shoulder that was swishing around and Will thought he saw Jack's old black boot. "How about this one?" Eliot...Eleanor asked stroking an emerald green gown. She hadn't seen the scene Will had. He absent-mindedly turned his head towards Eleanor's choice and widened his eyes at the beauty of it. "Would you...erm...well could you...try it on?" he asked timidly. Eleanor nodded knowing that Will wasn't hitting on her, just she was the same height as Storm and the gown looked as if it would be too short. It turned out that in fact it fitted perfectly and just as Eleanor twirled again, Jack came running up, tapping Will impatiently on the shoulder. He then felt a large jolt against his back just before he fell to the ground, hitting his nose on leather. It was a shoe, attached to an ankle, which appeared to be reasonably well covered with a green gown. He followed the gown up, past the hips with an eager look about his face and looked with horror as his eyes met those of his very own cabin boy. Jack stood up hurriedly and turned to Will, screeching, "Why on earth did you dress the boy in a woman's gown?" Minutes later, when Jack had explained the situation to Will and Eleanor, and Will had realised that he had seen them all running past, they sped off in that general direction.
Chapter 6 - Strange places
"What's that?" She could hear the gruff voice of a man talking to her captor. "A girl. She can do it...if I get paid." "We already have enough girls here. I don't need any more government...people after me when rogues like you have kidnapped girls off the street." This appeared to be a very relaxed conversation considering Storm was still dangling over Diego's shoulder. "She's here now. One more isn't going to hurt." After a long pause, the man replied, "Fine, but this is the last time." Storm was slid off Diego's shoulder and passed over to the new man. She was then hurried through a door, still struggling, and led up some stairs.
Chapter 7 - More strange places
"Oh my God, that's her," Jack shouted as they ran towards a girl in a yellow gown. They all chased after her, Will in the lead, Eleanor just about keeping up and Jack lagging behind, the rum taking its toll. When Will tapped on her shoulder and she turned round, of course, it wasn't her. This happened many times, delaying them greatly, but when they finally saw Diego, Jack recognised him immediately from the tavern and went over to question him. "Where's Storm?" he gruffly asked. "Who?" Diego replied, genuinely confused. He hadn't caught her name before he swept her up. "The girl. Where is she?" "I don't know." A hand shot out from Jack, pinning Diego against the wall behind him by his neck. "Don't do this. You've got your gold. Where - is - the - girl?" It didn't take long for him to spill and he gave rough directions to Jack ads to her whereabouts. As they neared the building, he recognised it from his previous visits to R(ohacha...the brothel.
Chapter 8 - The great save
"Look, there's a girl here, where is she?" Will asked the woman behind the desk. "There are a lot of girls here, sir," she replied impatiently. "She's got long brown hair, medium height and came in wearing a yellow gown." "Room 8" "Thank you. Very much." Jack said. They started towards the door leading to the rooms. "I don't think so," she said and as they opened the door a large man moved to block the entrance. "You have to pay first." "Oh...yes, of course...right." Will replied, taking a bag of coins out from his pocket. "30 an hour," jack almost instantly replied. As soon as he realised what he'd said, he blushed and turned to look away from Will and Eleanor's startled expressions. He started muttering something about too much rum. When Will had given the money tot he woman, they all made for the door again, but were stopped by the lady. "You paid for one person, only one can enter," she explained. After much discussion, they all agreed that Jack should go through and Turner and Eleanor should meet them outside in an hour. So Jack finally got through the door and past the guard. He got to the narrow corridor, which was rather long and held entrances to many rooms. He found number 8 and knocked on the door. No answer came, so he opened the door. It was a rather large room, much more so than it seemed from the outside. It was decorated with rather loud reds and dark blacks and the sun streaming through the large window gave it a very gothic look. It didn't take long for Jack to notice the small figure huddled up in a corner. As the door had opened, she looked u and her teary eyes met those of her Captain Sparrow's. She had been stripped to a strapless blue and black corset and knickers and this made her seem even smaller and more timid a creature. She leapt up and ran over to Jack, throwing her arms round his neck and holding him tight, loving the feeling of assurance he brought to Storm. "Thank God it's you," she whispered against his shoulder, her body wracking with sobs of relief. "I was so scared." "It's okay. Don't worry, love," he replied soothingly. When they untangled themselves again, he whisked off his coat and draped it round Storm's shoulders. "So, how do we get out of here?" Jack said thoughtfully, as he realised he hadn't quiet formed a plan yet.
Ten minutes later found them standing in front of the brothel, having beaten up several security men, with Will and Eleanor, who Storm and Jack still thought was Eliot. It was now about 4 o'clock in the afternoon and they were all rather weary. They decided to head back to the Black Pearl but first Jack had to collect something from his friend in the bar. "No!" Storm said determinedly. "We've gotten into enough illegal trouble today. No more." He looked at her perplexingly. "I know that whatever your business is, it isn't legal." "No, you don't." Jack wasn't going to get angry, as Storm obviously didn't know what she was talking about, but she couldn't do. "Well, it's not legal." "Yes it is." "Oh." Now Storm was looking confused. "So what is it?" "RUM!" He shouted, a huge black toothless grin on his face
Chapter 9 - Love is in the air...
Jack didn't spend long at the inn, as he desperately wanted to get back to his beloved ship and check u on John, Pike and Tom. At about half past five, they managed to get back, although they had 16 bottles of rum to carry back. Jack managed to take 3, as he wanted to dance along the streets. Storm took two although Jack thought it inappropriate that she carried any of the rum. He tried to lay it all down on Eliot, but Will insisted on carrying as much as he could, leaving Eleanor with only 4, causing Jack and Storm much bemusement As they boarded the ship, Tom and John ran up to help with the luggage. They took the bottles to Jack's quarter's with help from Eleanor and Will. Eleanor then went to her cabin to rest and Will left to wait for Francesca to get back. Jack escorted Storm to her rooms, which she was very grateful for. "Are you feeling better?" he asked as he helped her to sit down on her bed. "Still a bit shaky, but better," she replied. Storm took the jacket off and handed it back to Jack before wrapping her bed-sheet around her shoulders like a cloak. Jack moved the stool from in front of her dressing table to sit opposite her, leaving his coat on a peg on the back of the door. "Ah, come here," he said, sitting down next to her and opening his arms to her. She laid her head on his shoulder as his arms enveloped her, holding her as she cried. Jack felt a strange protectiveness over her. "Thank you," she managed through tears. "For what?" Jack asked. "For saving my life...and for lending me your coat!" He chuckled lightly. "No problem, love." There was a knock on the door and Storm straightened up as Jack rose to answer it. "I thought you'd want this, Cap'n," said Will, holding out a small bundle. Jack instantly understood and thanked Turner greatly before closing the door again and turning back to Storm. "For you, milady," he said holding the tweed sacking out to her. She took it, a large smile passing over her face, before unwrapping the material from around another bundle of material inside. The second she saw the beautiful emerald green flashing out, she started laughing, pulling out the gown and raising it to her petite body. She instantly undid the lace at the back and pulled the dress on, still laughing and smiling like a little girl. Jack tied up the laces for her and she twirled around the room in front of him, glancing in the mirror to admire her reflection. The gown had a low square neck and tight sleeves until the elbow, where the flared out. It was a figure-hugging top and the skirt was very billowy and elegant. The dress was rather simple, yet absolutely perfect. Storm swung her arms round Jack's neck hugging him tightly. "Thank you so much. I don't know how to show you my gratitude," she said, gently pulling away. "I wanted you to have it," he replied, looking into her blue eyes, reminding him of his love for the sea and his love for... "Why?" she asked. "Because...I...Storm, I really like you," he brought his palm up to her cheek, his thumb brushing her cheekbone. Storm felt her breath catch in her throat at Jack's touch. She smiled up at him as he lowered his lips to hers as they welcomed their first kiss.
Chapter 10 - Hey, Why Stop There?
"Did you enjoy looking round R(ohacha, Francis?" Will asked, specifically stressing her name. He was trying to see how long it would take for her to finally admit to him that she was a girl. "Yes, I did. It's lovely there. Archie and I went to some shops and bought trinkets and books. You?" "Oh, are you with Archie then?" Will momentarily forgot that Francesca didn't know he knew she was a girl. "We're friends, yes," she replied. If anyone thought she was gay, which she wasn't of course, the penalty was severe. Unless she showed herself to be a woman, but that would have a penalty on it too. "Did you see any nice women?" Will was now having to resort to such boyishness manners. He hated talking about women as if they were statues, but he had to break her. "Will, don't be so stupid," Francesca replied, before getting up off her chair at the table and walking away.
"Will, get your scrawny little arse over here. We're sailing." Jack was a little drunk having started on the rum. He appeared at the top of the stairs and walked over to the wheel, Storm close behind him. They didn't want to leave each other's company anymore, not now, not ever. Turner got up form his seat and walked over, picking up the map on the table along the way. "Why are we sailing, Captain? I thought we were spending the night in this port." "Since we got into a little...trouble today, it'd be safer to sleep at a different port. We don't want any difficulty...well...not right now," Captain Jack Sparrow whispered the last sentence, swaying a little as he leant closer to Will. "Do you want a chair, Captain?" He really was swinging a lot now, enough to get Laurie's attention. "Don't be so nice, my boy. Pirates are cruel and harsh and feared by all men not so...great...great?...no, I mean powerful! Pirates are powerful!" And with that last defiant sentence, Jack fell over, clearly unconscious. Will stepped over his body leaving the others to help him up and took up his position. He was by now a very good sailor as Jack was often too drunk to stay in control of the Black Pearl. He found a little island, Isle la Tortuga, on the map and called Simon over to help him navigate. The other men took Jack down below deck with Eliot and Storm looking after him. When they arrived at Isle la Tortuga later that evening, it seemed empty. If there were any inhabitants they were obviously not on that side. The island was beautiful; turquoise waters glinting under the white sun, luscious green trees rocking in the light breeze, and beautiful red sand the colour of a warm terracotta still wonderfully hot from the day's sun. The men, excluding the ones who were already asleep on the ship (including Jack!) put together a very large fire on the beach with some kindle that must have dropped off the trees. Will wasn't in the mood for all of these merriments and didn't enjoy indulging on getting very drunk. He walked to the rear of the ship sand dangled his legs off the edge. He sat like this for a very long time thinking about every matter of concern in his life. He was very confused about his feelings towards Francesca. When he thought she was a boy, he was frightened that he loved, or at least really liked Francis. Then when he found out he was a girl, he instantly knew that they were in fact just really good friends. Now, Will didn't know what to think.
He slowly opened his eyes, looking around himself. There was a face right above him and something solid on his face...and a figure standing in the corner of his cabin. Jack Sparrow finally realised who they were when Storm asked him, "Are you feeling okay?" "Yeah, I think." He was still feeling a bit groggy and was drunk, but the horrible stomach-ache had gone, unfortunately leaving behind an even worse headache. He sat up sharply before realising that it was Eliot in the corner. He groaned in agony as his head sent him another surge of pain. "Could you give us a minute," Storm said looking over at Eliot. It was less of a plea and more of an order, which of course was carried out. "Oh, my poor darling. I know it hurts, but don't worry," Storm said sympathetically.
Eleanor entered her shared room, shutting the door behind herself. She slumped down on the bed before turning at the sound of a rustle. It was Francesca sitting on the floor, looking up and smiling about Eleanor. "Have you spoken to Will yet?" Eleanor asked her. "Not much. Why?" "Has he said anything odd to you?" "No. But why?" "Just wondering." "Okay then."
He could hear her coming up to him over the sound of the ocean. Francesca sat down beside Will and swung her legs over the side. They sat in silence for a little while, both very comfortable and relaxed. "I'm sorry I called you stupid," Francesca said, breaking the silence. "I'm sorry for being stupid." Another silence followed but this time they were smiling at each other. "Do you wanna go for a swim?" Will asked her, remembering his personal mission. He looked down into the sea below their feet before looking up again at Francesca. "Oh, no, I don't think so..." she started. "Come on, it'll be fun!" "No, I don't want..." "We haven't been in ages!" "Will, I really don't..." "But..." "No!" she stood up and turned, ready to walk away when Will calmly said, "I know you're a woman." He stood up and walked round to stand in front of her, facing the sea. She just about managed to get out a "What?" before Will dived at Francesca, hurling them both over the edge of the ship and into the sea. They went in really deep, completely immersed in the salty water before resurfacing seconds later. They looked at each other, Will swinging his hair back from his face, Francesca's face becoming ever angrier. "What on earth is wrong with you?" she screeched trying to push him away. "Why don't you tell me?" he was still smiling, pleased with himself. "Apparently I didn't need to." She was still kicking and screaming. "Why are you angry with me? Because I know?" "Yes...no...I DON'T KNOW!" she started crying now, a little overwhelmed and tired. "Come here," he said, opening his arms wide to her. Francesca fell into his embrace and lay her head against his chest. They were like this for a few minutes, when they started getting a little cold. "Why do you always help me? Why are you always there for me?" Francesca asked, looking into Will's intent gaze. "Because...Francesca, I..." he couldn't say it. Instead, he laced his hand around the back of her neck and lowered his lips to hers, shading her from the moonlight. It was only a light brush, as they had to tread water to keep their heads above. Will pulled away gently and took Francesca's hand in his own and dived underwater as they calmly swam to the beach shore. On arriving to an area reasonably far away form the rest of the crew, they settled down on the sand. Will took off his soaking wet white shirt and turned to Francesca, who was still gazing out to sea. He looked at her feminine frame sitting next to him. She had rather skinny legs and curvy hips covered by rather long dark grey breeches and her slight waist and muscular arms under her own white shirt. Francesca had a rather long neck and a stunning face with striking cheekbones, a small nose, an adorable permanent pout and beautiful big green eyes. Will had only just realised that he had never even seen the colour of her hair as she had always kept it under a large cap, sort of like a beret. HE stretched his hand out and took her cap off, releasing her golden hair, which was also still very damp. She turned to look at him and shuffled even closer to his side, running her hand along his back. After a little while, she turned and straddled Will, stroking his cheeks as he leant back on his hands. Francesca's beautiful hair hung forward brushing against his chest, which she was leaning on. She slowly leant forward, smiling at his beauty, and kissed his warm mouth, tasting the salt on his lips. "I love you," she whispered against his lips. "I love you too," came the faint reply.