A/N hey, this is going to be a long story that I will finish probably by January. The 2nd and 3rd chapters are almost finished so I'll be updating soon, which is good for me at the moment. My other stories will be updated soon enough but I've got a block on them at the moment, the ideas have left my head and it was really annoying me. Anyway sorry this first chapter really short but its just introducing the story without actually introducing the plot line. Anyway please review!

It had been 4 years since The Black Pearl had been returned to its rightful owner. Everything since then had been how it should be. Plundering ships and sacking towns and villages. Gold chases and gold spending. Pleasurable company, good rum and good food… But that was all to change.

After the last battle between the Pearl and a merchant ship that was surprisingly armed well, the Black Pearl had suffered quite a lot in damages both to the actual ship and to the crew. Most of the deaths were of those that had joined since, but the original crew were all still there… including one Anamaria Santee.

In way of trying to get her off his back without actually giving her what she wanted, Captain Jack had made her first mate, with all the royalties plus more. She had her own room built in plus got a bigger cut in profits then a usual first mate would have. It had worked well for the first year or two before she got impatient and started asking again. Finally giving in, a year or so ago Jack bought her a small ship only big enough for about 20 people, before asking her to stay on for a while and come find a golden cave with him. Torn between Gold and her own ship, she chose to stay on with the Pearl safe in the knowledge that after she returned she could go her own way if she wished.

Of course when they came back from the treasure hunt, and the battle with the merchant ship, she had once again been asked by Captain Sparrow to stay on for a bit longer, as Jack seemed very unwilling to let his first mate go. She had bought him a lot of luck over the years, and was the best pirate he knew (other then himself), mainly because she worked so hard. For reasons unknown to herself, she agreed once again to stay.

Jack had asked Anamaria's opinion on the three new crewmates he appointed. She was more than a first mate to him, but a friend that's opinion he regarded highly. She approved of two of them, but was suspicious of the third. Unsure of why she felt that way, she didn't mention it to Jack and all three got the job. Thomas Keenly, otherwise known as Tom was the first recruit. He was 16 years old and just starting out as a pirate after running away from home. Harry Holding was 47 years of age and got on very well with Mr. Gibbs. The last was Richard Parley, 26 years old and very silent and kept to himself to himself.

Jack was planning a long sea trip, not for any particular reason he just felt like a change from the usual scenery, so the crew spent as much time on land as they could before they set off. Anamaria spent most of her time on her ship, mainly daydreaming about where she would go when she finally decided to leave the Black Pearl for good. As much as she loved being first mate to the most famous pirate ship in the world, she knew one day she would need to get away on her own and become a captain herself.

The new recruits were all their for different reasons. Tom was there mainly to scrub the decks and clean, being used as a cabin boy to begin with as he knew nothing about sailing ships and being a pirate. Anamaria had, had a good feeling about him and his potential that had influenced Jack to hire him and make him part of his infamous crew. Harry was there due to his experience and the fact that most of the crew lost were of the older age with that experience at their hands. He had a love for rum which impressed Jack and was very superstitious a lot like Mr. Gibbs. Although at first he was slightly weary about having 'a woman onboard as it was bad luck' after having a chat with Mr. Gibbs, who turned out to be an old acquaintance in the navy, he changed his mind and agreed to be part of the Black Pearl. Now the last is Richard. Jack wasn't quite sure why he hired him. Ana had a bad feeling about him that she had kept quiet as had Jack. Since they had both kept this feeling to themselves and covered it up, it seemed stupid not to hire him. He didn't offer anything outstanding, he had a bit of experience on ships, couldn't cook, didn't have any medical skills, and had only turned pirate recently as he got restless on land as a shop keeper. He was the silent type, and effective from setting sail he had hardly said 3 words to anyone else.

Ana Maria was standing at the helm, steering the ship, not long after they had set sailing on Captain Jack's 'big' adventure. Jack was sitting in his cabin looking over the maps he'd stolen off the last merchant ship they sacked, the maps were that of the places he wanted to visit, places they'd never gone to before and where he had gotten the idea of the trip from.

Standing outside his cabin looking towards the helm, jack smiled. He had once again managed for reasons not known to himself, to persuade his first mate to stay on for another trip. Each time he asked, she resisted more and more, until finally giving in. He knew it wouldn't be long until the time came when she came to him and told him she was leaving for good, and for some reason it saddened him to know that that was going to happen. She was a good first mate, one he trusted far more then he ever thought possible after what happened with Barbossa.

Walking up to her, he didn't have to say a word before she smiled and handed the wheel over to him, before walking away. Sighing contentedly to himself, he muttered "bring me that horizon…"

A/N please review...