Well hello there! This is my new potc fanfic. I hope you enjoy the first chapter. It's just an introduction so I promise it will get better.

Disclaimer: No matter how hard I tried Disney just wouldn't hand over Captain Jack Sparrow or any other original characters. Now on to the chapter!

…Things Can Always Get Worse…

There seemed to be no letting up as far as the storm went. It was undoubtedly the worst this year. The dark sea sent wave after wave crashing down against the ship. The loud moans of the wind made the orders being shouted by the captain of the ship Glory barely able to be registered by the crew. White sails blew wildly in the wind; being stretched to their limits. Changing the topgallant sail in a storm like this certainly wouldn't be a job any of the crew would volunteer for.

At the helm, the captain was using all his strength to control the ship. He wiped his eyes clear of the rain that was beating down hard. One hand adjusted his tri-cornered hat adorning his head and covering his many long dreads. There was no way this ship was going to hold up in a storm like this. He looked down on the crew who were trying frantically to keep the ship from being claimed by the sea. He only had one thing on his mind, and it wasn't the ship he was currently captain of, nor was it the lives of the crew. The only thing Jack cared about was The Black Pearl. That was why this journey was so important to him. That was why he was crazy enough to sail through this storm. The only thing Jack wanted was to regain his ship; the ship that was so cruelly taken from him. Nothing else mattered, not even the fact that one crew member had his 8 year-old daughter aboard. Normally Jack would never have let the man bring his daughter with him but Jack was desperate. The port that he left just a few days earlier lacked experienced sailors, and Jack needed a crew that knew what they were doing aboard a ship. He needed to make good time. So there he was with a crew of 10 men in the middle of a storm that was sure to take the ship.

Below deck, a girl sat on her bed looking out of a small salt-encrusted window. She gripped the side of her mattress in order to keep herself steady against every blow the ship endured from the raging sea. She had been instructed to stay below deck until the storm had passed. However, with her sense of adventure and curiosity this seemingly simple task was becoming more and more difficult. The only light in her cabin was coming from a candle sitting on a table across the room. The cabin smelled of fish and alcohol, not a pleasant scent to breathe in constantly. Another blow from the sea hit the ship harder than ever, knocking the candle off into a puddle of water on the floor beneath it. Mia sighed as the cabin went black. Flashes of lightning were seen from her window and the moaning of the wind began to make her feel a bit uneasy. Slowly, she climbed from her bed and placed her feet on the ground. She stood up and began to walk towards the door, but with all the rocking the ship was doing from the storm, it made it nearly impossible to do anything. She stumbled back towards her bed and sat down and stared out the window. It was going to be a long night.

A few hours later the storm had settled down. Mia felt the rocking of the ship slow enough so she could venture above deck. Quickly, she grabbed the blanket off her bed and exited her cabin to find the stairs. She found them easily enough and ascended them slowly. There were voices that could be heard above her, although she couldn't make out what they were saying. Finally reaching the last stair, she was relieved to see the sun beginning to appear through the clouds. She took her first step on the deck and nearly fell. The deck was slippery from the rain and since she had rarely been on a ship, she wasn't used to how slippery the deck could become. Nervous voices to the right of her indicated something was wrong. The crew was huddled around something Mia was having trouble seeing. She advanced slowly to the group of men, looking for her father. The men aboard the ship were intimidating to her. They were so much larger and stronger than she was. She caught bits and pieces of the conversations taking place between multiple crew members.

"…the ship has spent her masts…"

"…near death…"

"…no hope…"

"…crushed…"

"…what of the girl…"

They couldn't have been talking about her father. No. That was crazy. Mia turned and searched the men's faces for the familiar face of her father. It was then she noticed the foremast. It was lying across the main deck where she was standing. The crew was huddled around a part of it. An awful feeling arose in Mia's stomach. Instantly she pushed through the group of men and caught a glimpse of the horrid sight. Her father was being pulled out from under the dark rough wood of the foremast. He was bleeding from several wounds and had obviously suffered from a blow to the head. It was highly unlikely he was even conscious. For only a second she was able to see him before a member of the crew gruffly pulled her away.

"This is no place for a child," he yelled, "Get 'er out of 'ere."

She was pulled away instantly and hastily brought back below deck. The man with her said nothing as he unlocked a door and nudged her inside the small cabin. Once in, the man turned to leave but stopped short of the door by the sounds of Mia crying. Scared and confused she began to sob, sending the man she was with into a sort of male panic. He came and kneeled in front of her. Through her tears she noticed his deep brown eyes that seemed to show genuine concern.

"No now don't be doing any of that," he said, "He was your father I take it?" Mia nodded in agreement. "Ah I see then. I've belayed my orders to continue on to our final destination and we will be coming into port at Tortuga and be seeing if we can get him to a doctor. No worries Miss."

"Jack! We be needin' you on deck," a crew member called from the door.

"Aye," Jack responded, giving her a gold-toothed smile, "I'll be right up." With that Jack turned and walked out the door with little grace and shut it behind him.

After arriving at the less-than-appealing port of Tortuga, a doctor was immediately summoned for Mia's father, although the outlook was very bleak.

"There's nothing I can do for him. His internal organs are far too battered, not to mention his loss of blood from internal as well as external bleeding," the doctor continued, "He's been unconscious for far too long. There's no hope for him. I'm sorry."

"Nothing at all can be done?" Jack glanced nervously over at Mia who was sitting in the corner.

"The damage is far too severe. He's only got a little time left," the doctor replied, "I'll give you some time alone if you'd like."

Jack nodded and the doctor quietly left the room. Jack stood over the table Mia's father laid upon. His chest rose ever so slightly and it was evident his breathing was becoming more shallow with each passing moment. Mia sat silently in the corner of the dirty room. Scuffs and scratches lined the floor as well as cracked glass in the windows. The sight was too painful too look at and Mia kept her eyes on her knees curled up in front of her.

Jack watched as the rising and falling of the man's chest stopped. Jack sighed and looked back over at Mia, "What am I going to do with you?" Mia stood up slowly and made her way over to the table. The sight of her dead father in front of her caused her to break down into sobs all over again. "Now now," Jack said, "Be strong about this. Remember no matter how bad things seem now they can and very well may get much worse. Chin up. Follow me." Jack knew he had to hurry. He was losing time on his precious Pearl and needed a way to rid himself of an 8 year-old child.

Jack led Mia through the busy streets of Tortuga. Even though it was the middle of the day, the taverns were filled with drunks. The streets were lined with carts, and people eager to make some sort of money flaunted what they were selling from apples to jewelry to their bodies. A large horse pulling a wooden cart passed quickly in front of Mia, nearly causing her to lose Jack. The man yelled some sort of profanity at her for almost spooking his horse.

"Mia!" Jack yelled, "Keep up."

It wasn't easy keeping up with Jack Sparrow. His long stride and drunken sway kept Mia at nearly a jog to stay with him. She often fell a few paces behind him, nearly losing him all together. This pace continued until they reached a large mansion at the edge of the edge of the busy port. Jack led her up the path to the large wooden front door. A sign on the brick beside the door read The Velvet Palace. Jack knocked several times until a large woman with black hair appeared at the door. Quickly Jack and the woman exchanged a conversation too quiet for Mia to hear.

"Ah I see then," the woman said, "Come with me then."

The woman quickly led Mia inside as she caught her last glimpse of Jack Sparrow. At least she thought…

Well if you just finished reading, drop me a review and let me know what you think!

Much thanks!