Family Roots

Summary: Ebony Marin was given up at birth to pirates for her protection. Now sixteen years later, her beloved captain has sacrificed himself for the good of his crew. It's up to Ebony to get him back, but all she has is 72 hours and a name.

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer. Pirates of the Caribbean belongs to Disney and a whole lot of other people. No profit is being made off of this fic… don't sue me; I have no money.

Prologue

Sheets of rain poured down on the wooden planks of the Port Royale docks. A cloaked figure stood under the dripping eves of one of the many storage buildings, this one stinking strongly of fish. In the figure's arms was a cloth swathed infant, who was currently asleep. The figure peered out to sea, watching, waiting.

A plank creaked somewhere behind the figure, and, cloak billowing, the figure spun, hood falling away from her face. "Captain?" she called, rising to her toes to see farther. The infant stirred in her arms. Where is he? she thought, impatiently. He said he'd meet me by midnight, and the midnight hour is nearly passed!

She felt a tap on her shoulder, and she spun, coming face to face with a forked beard. She sighed with relief. "Jack!"

"Did you think I wasn't comin' to pick up yer precious cargo?" the pirate asked, smugly, obviously knowing the answer.

"Yes, I was beginning to have my doubts as to your reliability, Captian."

"I said I'd be here, luv, and here I am!"

"Yes, you are here, but how do I know you'll keep her safe?"

Jack snorted, his breath coming out as puffs in the cool air. "I take it 'pirate's honour' won't do?"

The woman gave him a hard look. "No."

Jack shrugged, "Nah, didn't figure as much."

The clock at the fort chimed twelve-thirty, making woman and pirate jump. The woman pushed the infant into the pirate's arms, unshed tears making her eyes glisten. "Take her, I have to go. My husband will be wondering what took so long."

Jack caught the woman's sleeve. "What's the youngster's name, before, ye go."

"Ebony," the woman said over her shoulder. "Her name is Ebony"

The woman hurried off the docks, holding up her skirt's to keep the expensive materials out of the mud. Jack Sparrow watched her go, noting how grief made her gait uneven. He looked at the child in his arms. She couldn't be anymore than six months old. Jack grimaced at her delicate features; this child wasn't born to be a pirate, her name alone proved that. How was he supposed to take care of an infant on a pirate ship? Gibbs had insisted that he left Anamaria in Tortuga after she got pregnant and she'd given birth to a dashing boy about the same time Ebony was born. He'd leave the girl with Ana; she'd keep her well.

Jack sighed and looked at the road leading away from the docks, Ebony's mother was nowhere in sight. He sighed, no going back now. Jack adjusted his grip on the infant and turned back to the boat waiting to take him back to the Black Pearl. This was going to be a long few years.