Heya guys! This is my first crack at a POTC fanfic!
POTC does not belong to me! But some of these characters do.
Here is my imagining of the story of how Jack Sparrow came to be (as it were)
Happy Reading!
The city of Lisbon settled into the night as sunset became sundown and the moon rose high above the port. Nobles, beggars and merchants alike made rest for the day as they retired into their evening solitude and to the casual eye all trade ceased; ready to resume again once dawn approached.
However should one head down to the docks and the surrounding abodes they would discover that when night enveloped Lisbon the harbour came alive with the sailors and tradesmen from all corners of the known world all of whom were making the most of their precious time upon solid ground. Universally with other ports of call and trade these seafaring individuals descended upon the taverns and inns that hosted copious amounts of rum, ale, music and all other kinds of entertainment.
In one such institution, O Maestro Quebrado, a young woman of nineteen was heatedly arguing with her uncle in rapid Portuguese, her voice raised in such a way that she be heard over the din downstairs from the tavern bar.
"Tio the sailor was simply drunk! I did not encourage him and he was refusing to acknowledge my repeated dismissal of his advances!"
"Ha! To my eye my niece was fornicating with a dirty pirate like a common tavern whore! This is what happens when there is no mother to guide you! Why does the lord test me so with your impertinence?"
"There was no impertinence Tio!"
The girl's uncle stared coldly at her.
"Lúcia when I entered the room you were precariously sprawled across his lap as he expressed those foul words. Do not think my English is so bad that I do not understand what he said! It is the English blood that taints a person's morals and virtues…"
"The same English blood I have from my mother you mean?"
"Perhaps you should return there if you mean to defend it so?"
Lúcia blanched as shock spread across her features. Regaining the ability to speak she fixed her uncle with a glare.
"There was nothing there for Mother and there will be nothing there for me."
"Well there is nothing left for you here. You have repeatedly refused to marry and I fear your blasphemous ways mean that the convent will be your only chance for redemption. As it is I have fulfilled my promise to my brother in providing for you these many years."
"And have I not earned my keep?"
"You have" Said her uncle grudgingly. He scrutinized the defiant expression of his niece carefully and came to a decision. "But there will soon come a time where you are no longer my responsibility. See to it that when that day comes you are prepared for the consequences." He sighed and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I shall make enquiries at the convent tomorrow".
Lúcia roughly removed his hand from her shoulder and ran from the room, through the tavern and out to the harbours edge, staring into the surface of the calm water until her anger had abated somewhat and her breathing had steadied. Her reflection was mirrored back at her and her features settled into that of determination; a look she had seen often on her mother's face before her untimely death.
She often had been told that she was a perfect mix of both her parents with her features resembling those of her English mother and her colouring the typical darkness of her Portuguese father. Her face was slightly broader and her nose more pert then could be considered conventionally beautiful however her softly rounded lips, long eyelashes and defined cheekbones somewhat balanced this out. Some people called her 'exotic' whilst others who were less kind had dismissed her mixed ethnicity as unnatural and perhaps had been a major factor in the certain toughness and fiercely independent nature Lucia had developed over the years; a result of not completely belonging to either country.
She began to form a plan as she absentmindedly re-wound the tie that held together side swept braid currently restraining her thick, tumbling curls. To her mind a convent was a poorly disguised, yet admittedly more respectable, prison. The thought of remaining confined to any one place always had made her feel distinctly nauseous.
Lúcia stood up and began to wander back towards the tavern. She would tell her uncle that she would refuse to join a convent or, she shuddered, marry one of his distinctly too old friends as he had previously suggested on more than one occasion. However she would tell him that she could no longer stay at O Maestro Quebrado. Perhaps she would take up a position as a governess? Her grasp of languages and geography would surely be of use? Maybe she would even leave Portugal and travel to one of the lands her father had described to her… Italy perhaps?
Lúcia's musings were interrupted by a muffled cry of pain from the alley to her right. Silently she slipped the small dagger she always carried from the garter on her left thigh that it rested in and crept towards the commotion, crouching behind one of the giant barrels that stood by the alley's opening. In the relative gloom of the lantern light she made out three figures; two were dressed in the uniform of the East India Trading Company and the other, who was clearly in pain, was knelt before them clutching at his torso and attempting to get his breath back.
"I swear it! Bloody Teague is dockin' in Lisbon tonight! I 'eard it from two of the dock rats who 'eard it from the cap'n who be doin' business wiv 'im tonight!"
"Be that as it may Mister Culver the individual we were looking for was not at the location you provided; information that we exchanged for a rather substantial remuneration might I add."
"And the Commodore is not happy. You can be sure of that. He has personally insisted that we deal with your deception accordingly as a warning to any other liars and fools who see fit to make a mockery of the East India Trading Company…"
Before the man could reply a figure dropped into the alley. Lúcia gasped as the newcomer raised his sword and knocked the two men out cold with the hilt before they had even had time to react to his presence. The unfortunate 'Mister Culver' however had no such qualms and made a break for the alley opening. The newcomer seemed to sigh and pulled out a pistol which he aimed directly at the staggering man as he cocked the trigger.
"MISTER CULVER!"
Mister Culver stopped dead and, trembling, turned slowly to face the assailant. The newcomer walked slowly down the alley, passing through the lantern light as he went. Lúcia's eyes widened as she took in his appearance. He was undeniably an imposing figure; handsome in a slightly grizzled kind of way yet most of his allure came from the assuredness with which he held himself. This man, she realized, was undoubtedly a pirate from the three cornered hat that sat upon the long dreadlocked hair that she sometimes had seen the dark traders sporting when they brought exotic goods to the harbour to the heavy buccaneer boots and weather beaten long coat. Somehow the result was more intimidating then she thought could ever be achieved by even the pristine military uniform of the higher members of the royal navy; she couldn't blame Mister Culver for quaking in his boots at the sight of him.
"You know, that's the smartest move you've made all night Mister Culver. If you had kept on running I would have had to shoot you…"
From somewhere, perhaps due to the implication that he was not being shot immediately, Mister Culver regained the ability to speak.
"Please! I didn't mean nuthin' by it! I'm a good man what's just tryin' to make my way in the world! I knew you was gonna' thwart 'em as it were. Please Mister!"
"I'm sure you mean Captain…"
Culver's eyes widened in terror
"I meant Captain! Of course I did! Please Captain Teague!"
Lúcia's heart skipped a beat as understanding dawned on her. The man no more than ten feet away from her was none other than the infamous Captain Teague, the most fearsome pirate of the modern world! Over the past few years she had heard many a story at the tavern of his exploits all of which had been told by sailors in hushed tones as though they feared the possibility that he might hear of their disclosure and seek them out. She knew from the merchants that the shipping route between Europe and India was famed for its perils due to Teague's pillaging of vessels in those waters. Involuntarily she crouched lower into her hiding place.
"Well Mr Culver on account of the fact that I'm in a particularly generous mood momentarily I won't be killing you tonight on one condition."
"Anythin' Captain!"
"You tell all the other miserable, weasley, dog hearted traitors out there that they'd best think twice about trying to cross Captain Teague because he has sworn that from this day on should he catch them, and trust me when I say I will, they will be shot dead before they even have the time to consider dropping to their worthless knees and begging him for his forgiveness."
"I swear it Sir! I will!"
"Good. Now go."
Teague gestured with his pistol causing Mr Culver to flinch comically before gathering his wits and scrambling out the alley. Lucia held her breath as she waited for the pirate to leave. Footsteps moved towards her yet instead of bypassing her they stopped directly by her hiding place.
"Stand up girl" said the captain in badly accented Portuguese .
Lúcia panicked as she realised the pirate must have seen her watching. Gathering all her courage she slowly stood and turned to face him, hiding the dagger behind her back. Captain Teague appraised her defiant expression for a moment with an unreadable look.
"Your name?"
"Why do you need it?"
"So you speak English. A woman who speaks like an Englishman but doesn't look like one. Now that's interesting. Well love the way I see it you know my name so it only seems fair."
Lúcia hesitated for a moment before relenting.
"Lúcia Maria Catarina de Marques"
"Aye? That's a lot of names for a tavern wench."
"Sir I am not a tavern wench…"
"And I am not a 'Sir'. Well Lúcia Maria Catarina de Marques how's about you tell me why exactly you were spying on me?"
"I wasn't spying! I just heard noises and came to investigate as it sounded like someone was in trouble..."
"Is that so? And may I ask what exactly you were planning on doing about it if they were?"
She remained silent but clutched the dagger tighter. Teague sighed.
"Look love will you lighten up a bit? You seem like a clever one so you should be bright enough to have worked out that if I was intending on hurting you I would 'ave done so by now right? So put that bloody dagger down! Yes the one behind you back, I know it's there…"
Lúcia slowly lowered the dagger down to her side, keeping her eyes on Teague's face. He smirked in satisfaction.
"Ok love now that we've sorted that out do you mind telling me if that piece of seascum, or Mister Culver as he's known to you and I, knows who you are?"
"I, I don't think so but then I don't exactly blend in around here. I don't think he saw me though…"
"Right. Well in that case feel free to take your leave Lucia Maria Catalina de Marquez. And might I suggest that you keep this little rendezvous to yourself?"
Lúcia opened her mouth to answer but movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Clearly as they had been talking several East India Trading Company officials had crept across the wharf and loaded their muskets which were now aimed directly towards herself and Teague. Instinctively she grabbed Teague's arm and hauled him into the shelter of the alley seconds before all hell broke loose. The Barrels she had been hiding behind shattered under the onslaught of gunfire. Before she had time to think she felt a strong pair of arms envelop her and found herself being dragged down the alley and out into the other side of the row of buildings. They ran down the street and circled back towards the harbour as the noise of footsteps in pursuit grew in number. Suddenly Teague stopped and pulled her into a dingy tavern that she never had before entered. It was completely empty aside from the barman who nodded grimly at the pirate before pulling aside the run in front of the smoky hearth and lifting the floorboards to reveal a damp tunnel below. Teague lowered himself down then looked back at Lúcia somewhat questioningly before reaching out his hand towards her.
She momentarily hesitated as she glanced back the door leading to the street from where the sound of soldiers was becoming increasingly louder. Making her mind up she nodded at the bartender and lowered herself down into Teague's arms as the trapdoor shut and they were enveloped in darkness.
Hate it? Love it? Let me know so I can decided whether to continue with it or not.
