Before starting on the fic itself, some comments: For the record, I did research most everything in this fic, thoroughly. At the same time, though, I was relying on the movie (this being a fic of it and all), which is fairly accurate, but still, straight out of Hollywood. So consider this a compromise of the two. And for the record, there were female pirates in the Caribbean.
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Chapter One: We See Through A Glass, Darkly
Captain Jack Sparrow was not often seen without his hat. Having spent more than enough time in the company of hostile pirates and the British navy, forced not only to be stripped of his gun and sword, but of his hat too, he seldom parted with it these days.
However, there were some occasions that called for honor and the removal of such decorative items. Funerals were one of such occasions.
"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I taught as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."
The sailor closed the Bible and the crewmembers bowed their heads. "We commend Mr. Jonathan Gibbs to the sea. May God have mercy on his soul."
Jack looked sadly upon the bundle of excess sail they had sewed the body in, a cannonball at his feet. Pulling a single gold coin from his pocket, Jack slipped it into a hole in the cloth; complying with the myth that one should pay King Neptune upon burial at sea. The board that the shrouded body laid upon was raised and it slid down to sea. The men kept their heads bowed for a few more moments in respect before going to their duties upon the ship, though a little quieter than usual.
"Good man," Jack sighed, leaning on the railing of the ship. He watched the waves roll by and sighed, letting his head fall to his hands for a moment. He'd seen too much of this world only to decide it was hardly worth living in most of the time. Always the one with the witty, slightly mad, comment he'd come to simply laugh at the lot of it. But losing one of the people who laughed with him was something he didn't expect for another few years. Returning to his quarters, he sat down at his desk with numerous maps laid out before him, but not really seeing any of them. Instead, he let his mind wander.
"Raise anchor!" The order rung through the morning air that next day and the crew scurried about.
"Curious Gibbs should request that specific passage from the Bible be read at 'is funeral," Anna Maria spoke up suddenly from her spot next to Jack on the railing.
"Ye think so, too, eh? What do ye make of it?"
"Gibbs was not a deep man, 'owever kind 'e may 'ave been. Simply, 'e must 'ave a child somewhere and wanted to make that clear to yeh. For what reasons or what purpose, I 'aven't an idea." Jack gave a sharp nod to acknowledge her observation but said nothing as he returned the wheel.
What Anna Maria had said, however, made a number of things clearer in his mind. Gibbs had a child, he was now sure of it, but this child was no longer so young for Jack remembered Gibbs saying his lover had died of the fever a good twenty years ago. Certainly this woman would mother a child of Gibbs, and so the child, a boy most certainly, must be at least twenty years of age.
To be sure, this had been why Gibbs had requested this passage be read at his funeral. His death had been so sudden and left no time for the disclosure of certain valuable informations. Information like the location of several key islands he thought to carry treasure and several places of safe harbor that the navy had no suspicion of. The latter of which was crucial as the Black Pearl was due for maintenance and, as its crew and captain were of the most wanted among the British Navy, would be in danger if left incapacitated in any port or harbor.
If Gibbs had any such child, and the boy knew anything of his father's knowledge, which was to be certain or else Gibbs would not have gone through the trouble of letting Jack know it to be so, then seeking out said person was the next option.
"We sail for Tortuga," Jack announced, spinning the wheel as the crew cheered. Tortuga, to them, meant drunkenness and debauchery, which was quite alright with them.
"You think you'll find Gibbs' child there?" Anna Maria asked incredulously.
"Certainly not. A man simply needs comfort at times like these, and rum and women sounds a good antidote to me," Anna Marie looked at him darkly, and he continued, "And I expect to find of the whereabouts of Gibbs Jr. there. And once we find 'im, we will hopefully 'ave ourselves a new quartermaster."
Much to the dismay of the crew, their stay in Tortuga was a short one, lasting no more than two hours in the dead of night, which was all the time it took for Jack to locate the barman of the Riptide Tavern, who had also been Gibbs' friend of many years. He knew naught about the child except an address Gibbs' had once asked him to send a letter to, which the barman assumed to belong to the child. So now all Jack had was an address, which might be that of the person he was looking for and of all places, it was located in Maracaibo. Quite a bit in the opposite direction of where he wanted to go. But as he had not much of any other choice, he'd have to risk it.
The Black Pearl arrived at the port of Maracoibo, once again, at the dead of night. They dropped anchor not far from the mouth of the port with Jack's order to sail away at the first sign of trouble, he wasn't about to lose his ship, or his crew, to the navy or to the gallows.
Upon tying the small rowboat up at the docks, he strolled down the dusty streets, following the only place that seemed to be alive at this time of night: the pub. Before seeking out the young Gibbs, he hoped to find out for sure that he was looking in the right place.
The pub was rowdy as pubs in port towns go, and provided the right amount of noise for Jack to feel safe inquiring with the barman. After ordering a drink, he called the barman back over to ask him some questions.
"Do ye 'appen to know of a Mr. Gibbs in the area?" Jack asked, leaning.
"A Mr. Gibbs? Certainly not, ain't no one in this town a' that name 'cept a Ms. Gibbs, if that's the same family. Soon to be a Mrs., ta top it off," The barman said, causing Jack to nearly choke on his drink. It's true he'd never known that the child was a boy, just assumed so, and apparently he was wrong. He hated being wrong.
"Ms. Emma Gibbs," the barman continued, "Born in Providence or some manner of island in that area. Her father's rumored to 'ave been a pirate, and 'er lover certainly was," the barman shook his head disapprovingly at this.
"So 'er father didn't ever live 'ere then?" Jack asked. He wanted to get straight to the point and get out of here as soon as possible.
"Nay, she was raised by the family that runs the inn 'ere, but 'er father came back to fetch 'er when she was 15. Took 'er to sail on 'is ship, the Gloria. I heard it to 'ave sailed under the pirates' flag. She came back when she was 19, though, seeming ta 'ave taken to a corrupt sorts lifestyle. She took ta gallivanting at the harbor and the pubs and fell in love with a pirate, the name of Robert Kingsley, by 'is proper name. Common pirate, not even a captain. Got in some trouble a month ago ending with 'im in the jail and an appointment at the gallows, which is now to be set in a week. Ms. Gibbs seems to 'ave settled down due to these circumstances, pretty girl in her way, and found a proposal from a merchant shipman soon after Kinglsey was locked up."
"So she knows 'ow to sail, eh? Interesting," Jack mused, pulling on his beard. Slapping down a few shillings, he leaned forward again, "For your silence," he explained, looking darkly at the barman before taking off. "A bloody woman, oh Anna Maria will be thrilled," he spat darkly, "Two ruddy women on the ship, conspiring, consolidating their shared forces, becoming demon women once a month and terrorizing my bloody ship…" His mutterings followed him through the night, quite unconcerned of how odd he must look, spitting and hissing like a cat. He arrived soon enough in front of number thirteen on the Harbor View street.
"Doomed, this whole ordeal is," Jack commented, looking again at the number of the foreboding house. Striding up the steps, he knocked three times.