Title: Whippersnapper

Author: Anisky

Summary:  The story of Morgan Adams as a child, and how she became "The Notorious Lady Pirate."   Cutthroat Island.

Rating: PG

Archiving: Just ask.  HoneyB87@aol.com



Chapter 1

Five-year-old Morgan Adams looked down at her mother, tears in her eyes.  "Mommy, what do you mean?"

Lilly Adams looked up at her daughter, wheezing.  "My dear child… I love you.  I have to leave soon."

"NO!" Morgan stomped her foot.  "Don't go.  It's not fair."

"I…don't have a choice, sweet one."  Lilly closed her eyes, resting for a moment before she spoke again.  "I've sent for your father.  He should be here before I die."

"Daddy?" Morgan paused to remember.  It had been half a year since she'd last seen him, a very long time for a girl of her age.  "Why is he coming?"

"You must go to live with him now, my darling. When I'm gone."

Morgan considered this.  Her Daddy was nice but scared her a little.  He wasn't nearly as scary as Uncle Dawg though! But… "Mommy, he lives on a ship," she reminded her mother.

"I know Morgan…" Lilly forced her eyes open.  "Don't you worry.  It will be all right.  You'll see."

"But why do you have to go?" asked Morgan, sulking. "It's not fair!"

"It's not," her mother agreed.  "I wish I didn't have to leave."

"Me too," sniffled Morgan.

The young girl stayed by her mother's side all day and all night.  Morgan was normally a very active child; unlike many girls her age, she loved to run around outside and play.  But now, she just sat there, looking at her mother and talking to her.  She couldn't bear the fact that soon her beloved mother would be gone. 

Morgan didn't want Daddy to come.  Whenever he came, there were scary men with him.  They said bad things that made Mommy scold them.  If they were grown men and were still bad enough for Mommy to yell at them, she didn't want to be around them. 

But after a couple of days, a very messy, dirty man walked in and Morgan remembered him from his last visit.  She sunk back into a corner of the room as he came in. 

He walked right over to the bed where Lilly was lying.  "Lilly, I'm sorry," he said, taking her hand.

"It's not your fault, Harry," she said softly.  "Nobody could stop the sickness. It's my lungs.  Just… look after Morgan for me.  Promise me." 

"Lilly…" Harry held her hand and looked into her eyes.  "It's no sort of life for a young girl.  I can't just stop being what I am, and I don't think she would like growing up on a …" he lowered his voice.  "On a pirate ship."

"Harry, you're the only family she has."  Lilly matched his gaze, despite the pain she was in.  "The rest of them left when I had her out of wedlock, you know that.  She needs you.  Don't worry, she is very active and will grow to like it."

"No I won't!" Morgan said, stepping out of her corner.  "I want to stay here.  I don't want to go with him, Mommy."

"Harry, Morgan, both of you."  Lilly gasped for breath as she spoke.  "I wish for you to raise her, Harry.  I know that you are a pirate but you are a good man." Lilly turned to her daughter.  "Just give the life a chance.  You always like to run around outdoors, don't you? You may find you like it more than you think."

Morgan crossed her arms and shook her head, but Harry sighed. 

"If it is what you wish," he told her, "then that is what I will do." 

"It is what I wish," whispered Lilly, sounding exhausted.  She drifted off to sleep. 


****


The funeral, like most funerals, was a solemn affair.  Morgan, for once in her life, sat quietly at her seat.  Tears were streaming down her cheeks but she didn't even feel well enough to make loud sobs. 

Her father was sitting next to her.  Just hours after he had arrived, Lilly had taken her last breath.  He had been there as well when she had died, and Morgan was upset that he just came and took her mothers' attention right before she died.  Lilly's last words had been to Morgan, and they had been of love, but the young girl still had to share her mother for the first time in her five years.  Right before she died, too. 

Now her father was here.  She didn't know what was going to happen to her, or where he was going to take her.  She just knew that she would have to leave home. 

Finally the man at the front stopped talking.  Now, at her death, it suddenly seemed that all the people who had avoided Morgan and her mommy while she was alive were coming to be sad about it.  Morgan suddenly hated them, but remained silent.   

She stood up when the service was done, and walked shakily up to the coffin.  She looked inside.  "Mommy, please come back," she cried.  "Please."

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up.  It was her father, with a big man who somehow looked young next to him.  "Morgan, I'm very sorry, but we must go now," her father said.

"No!" yelled Morgan.  "I want Mommy back!"

"She's not coming back, Morgan.  I'm sorry." 

Morgan stomped her foot.  "NO.  She is."

 "Well, she's definitely your daughter," said the young man.  "She's even as stubborn as you!"

Harry nodded to him.  "Aye.  Morgan, this is Blair."

Morgan didn't look up, she just kept staring at her dead mother's face.

"Harry, we have to go," said Blair.  "It was dangerous enough coming here." 

Harry took Morgan's hand firmly.  "He's right.  I'm sorry, but we must leave.  Now, child."  He pulled her along, and Morgan followed reluctantly but without protest. 

"Shouldn't I gather my things into my trunk?" she asked. 

"No time," said Blair.  "We need to get you to the ship." 

"But what will I wear?" the young girl stalled.

"We'll find something," her father assured her as the hurried down the road towards the dock. 


****
Several Days Later
****

Morgan sat on the deck of the ship, looking out over the ocean.  She missed her mother so much, and she missed being on land.  Her dress was dirty and ripped, but the only thing they had that she could wear was a long shirt.  She was not going to wear something like that. 

Everybody here was rough, and mean, and Morgan was getting seasick besides.  All she wanted to do was run home to her mother and hug her forever.  But her mother was gone. 

"Morgan, sweetheart?"  Harry sat next to his daughter.  "You really have to eat."

Morgan shook her head.  "The food here is yucky," she said plaintively.  "And the men are scary while they eat."

"Well, I have an idea!" her father tried.  "We can eat together in your room.  Would you like that?"

"I want to go home," said Morgan simply as she looked off to where the island that had been her home had disappeared into the horizon. 

"I know hun, but… this will be your home soon!" he told her.  "I promise."

"I hate it here," she said.  "This will never be my home." 

"Well, I hope you change your mind," he said, getting up.  He leaned over to kiss Morgan's forehead, but she scooted away from him.  "I'll be back to make sure you eat dinner."

Morgan folded her arms and didn't answer him.  Like many young children, when adults tried to comfort her, it made her all the more upset.  She was determined now to show her father that she would never like this awful, filthy ship.

Never. 




TBC…

Reviews please!!! *big puppy-dog eyes*