Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean, nor any of the characters. I wish I did though!
-={+}=-
Port Royal
Elizabeth stared at Jack as he kneeled beside her in the slowly sinking boat, a look of confusion on his face.
"Lizzie, luv, are you sure ye are alright? I've been yer father for eight years now, luv, don't you remember?" Elizabeth could see the concern in his eyes grow.
As she sat there, staring in confusion herself, a wave of memories suddenly flashed through her mind. It began with the sight of Jack proudly holding her as a baby, then when she spoke her first word(Which happened to be Savvy), and then her and Jack leaving Tortuga in the boat they were in now. She shook her head and looked back at Jack and smiled.
"Sorry, daddy, I must still be a bit sleepy," she said and then yawned, proving that what she said wasn't actually a lie.
Jack sighed with relief as he pulled her toward him in an embrace.
"I am glad about that, me little sweet, I was worried something was wrong," he said as he slowly stood up and placed her on her feet.
To Elizabeth it felt weird that she had to crane her neck back just to look at Jack's, her father's, face.
"Nope just a little sleepy still," she said with a grin.
Elizabeth shivered as she just now realized that she wasn't wearing anything on her small feet, and that they were still standing in the small pool of water. Jack, noticing the small girl shiver picked her up and carried her to the mast. She looked down at him in confusion. Jack gave her another of his reassuring grins.
"S'all right Lizzie, I will follow ye up shortly. We are almost to the town now and the boat's sinkin' fast, your mother would have me head if I let anything happen to ye!"
Elizabeth nodded her head and began climbing up to the top, she was amazed at how natural this felt to her. It was almost as if she had been doing this her whole life.
'Well I probably have, since my father is Captain Jack Sparrow!' she thought to herself.
She finally reached the top of the mast and waited for Jack to catch up. As she stood there she looked out across the bay at the port and her breath hitched.
"That's Port Royal!" she exclaimed not realizing that she had said it out loud.
"Aye, it is, luv, the best place fer us to get us a ship so we can go after yer father's," They were nearing the dock's as Jack said this, startling her and almost causing Elizabeth to fall off the mast.
Jack quickly hooked an arm around her waist and hoisted her up onto his shoulders, Elizabeth felt a bit of childish glee, giggled happily. Jack grinned again at the smiling girl.
"Lizzie Ann Sparrow, ye are one of two important women in me life, when we reach the port I want ye to stay at me side, no wanderin' off as ye like. Understand?" he asked her with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes daddy," said Elizabeth with joy, it felt right when she called the pirate that, something she hadn't felt in years.
The boat was now all under the water but the top of the mast when it reached the dock. Jack gripped Elizabeth's left leg tightly with his hands and leapt onto the wooden platform. He sat her down, much to her disappointment and turned back to face the sunken boat. He sighed and looked down at Elizabeth.
"Yer mother is not going to be happy when she hears about her boat!"
Elizabeth looked up at him curiously and then another memory flashed in her head. It showed a familiar face of a woman with long black hair, beautiful tanned skin and brown eyes that sparkled with happiness as they gazed back to her. Elizabeth gasped to herself.
'My mother is Anamaria!' she said to herself.
The feeling of Jack placing his bigger hand around her small one broke Elizabeth from her thoughts, she looked up at her father's, it was getting easier to call him that, face.
"Well, luv, are ye ready to see Port Royal?" asked Jack with a hint of amusement in his voice.
Elizabeth nodded her head eagerly and allowed Jack to lead her by the hand toward the town. They passed the Harbormaster as he was walking by when he turned to them.
"What? Hey! Hold up there you two!" he called after them.
Both father and daughter turned to face the man as he came up to them with a serious expression on his face.
"It's a shilling to tie your boat at the dock," all three looked back at the sunken boat, the Harbormaster cleared his throat and turned back to them, " And I shall need your names!"
Jack and Elizabeth share a glance and he smirks as he pulls out three coins and places them on the ledger in the man's hands.
"How about three shillings, and we forget the names?" Jack asked.
Elizabeth raised both of her eyebrows and looked up at the Harbormaster, who seemed speechless at the moment, opening and closing his mouth in astonishment. Finally he pulled himself back together.
"Welcome to Port Royal, Mr. Smith and your daughter as well!" said the man happily as he pocketed the three coins.
Jack and Elizabeth share a smirk as they turn away and head down the dock's past the man's small desk. Jack quickly glances at it and snatches a small bag, shakes it and smiles at the rattle of coins from with in. He looks down to see if Elizabeth had noticed, only to see her grin up at him and wink.
"I won't tell mommy," she whispered to him.
Jack smiled and winked back, then turned to face forward as the continued to weave their way through the bustling docks of Port Royal. As they passed a group of rugged looking men, Elizabeth felt a small bit of fear when she noticed them glancing at her as they walked past. Jack feeling her hand tense in his grip turned and glared at the men.
"I would find somethin' else for ye to be staring at mates, before I come over there an give ye somethin' to stare at!" growled Jack as he placed a hand on the hilt of his sword.
The men glance at Jack fearfully and immediately turn and look away. Jack let out another sigh of relief and began pulling Elizabeth away from there. He led her behind a stack of crates and he kneeled down, placing both hands on her small shoulders, looking into her eyes.
"Are ye alright, Lizzie?" he asked again with a touch of worry.
Elizabeth takes a shuddering breath and nods, she then meets her father's eye and she wraps her arms around him as a few tears slid down her cheeks. Jack pulls her closer to him and he rubs the back of her head with one hand while the other holds her in a hug.
"It's okay now, Lizzie, shhh! Please don't cry darlin'. Yer father is here and I won't let anything happen to ye, ye understand me, luv?" he whispered to her soothingly.
Elizabeth nods and takes a deep breath.
"I-I know daddy, b-but the way they were looking at me, I-I felt so scarred!" she whispered back.
Jack pulled back and kissed her forehead and used his right thumb to wipe away her tears, he gave her an encouraging smile.
"Come now, luv, an dry those eyes. Remember I am not only yer father, but I am Captain Jack Sparrow! No one would dare to think about crossing me to get to you!"
Elizabeth laughed and smiled as she hugged him one more time before he stood up and took her hand in his again. They began walking down the docks feeling in better spirits than before. They stooped to rest for a bit at another stack of crates, when Elizabeth spotted a pair of masts sticking out above the crates.
Quick as any monkey climbing a tree she crawled her way up the crates until she looked over the top and stared at the familiar ship that appeared in her sight. The Interceptor sat there in all her glory, looking like she did before it exploded after the fight against the Black Pearl. Elizabeth smiled a slid back down to Jack's side. The pirate glanced at her and noticed the smile on her face.
"Now what has ye all in smiles, luv?"
Elizabeth grinned even more as she glanced around before leaning in toward his ear.
"Daddy I think I found a good ship for you," she whispered.
Jack raised both his eyebrows and his eyes glinted in interest.
"Right then, let's take a look at her, shall we?" he said as he held a hand out to her.
--+--
Elizabeth pointed proudly toward the Ship and she grinned when she noticed the look on her father's face. Jack looked like her mother had just told him something shocking, or slapped him in the face, she couldn't tell. Jack turned his eyes to her and returned the grin.
"Lizzie, darlin', I will make a pirate out of you yet! She is not just a good ship, no, she is a perfect ship! Good eye, lass!" he said as he began walking toward it with Elizabeth following behind him.
As they walked down the ramp to lower dock, two soldiers stepped out in front of them, guns held in the way blocking the path. Elizabeth almost laughed as she remembered these two jokes of soldiers. She glanced at both of them remembering their names: Murtogg and Mullroy.
"This dock is off limits to civilians!" Murtogg stated as he swallowed nervously.
Jack placed a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder and smiled at the two soldiers.
"I'm terribly sorry. I didn't know, if I see one I shall inform you immediately. Now if you will excuse us!" said Jack as he tries to step around them, but they again block his path.
Elizabeth covers her mouth so she could hide her giggle as she watches Jack stare at them quizzically.
"Apparently there's some sort of high toned and fancy to do up at the fort, eh? How could it be that two upstanding gentlemen, such as yourselves, did not merit an invitation?" he asked them.
Murtogg and Mullroy glance at each other nervously and then turned back to Jack and Elizabeth.
"Someone has to make sure this dock stays off limits to civilians," said Murtogg again, but with a hint of a question in his voice.
Jack smirks as he tries to step around them again.
"It's a fine goal to be sure, but it seems to me that a ship like that," he declares pointing out at the Dauntless sitting in the middle of the harbor, "Makes this one a bit superfluous, really!"
Murtogg glances back at the ship and then turns back to Jack with a smirk on his face.
"Oh, the Dauntless is the power of these waters, true enough, but there's no ship as can match the Interceptor for speed!" he declared proudly.
Jack glances at Elizabeth with a smirk. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow in a question and Jack nodded. Elizabeth then turned and smiled at the two soldiers.
"My father has heard of one, it is said to be very fast, the Black Pearl!" Elizabeth looked back at Jack to see him grinning proudly at how she worded her comment.
Mullroy snorted and he looked down at Elizabeth with a look of pure amusement.
"Well, little miss, there's no real ship that can match the Interceptor!" he stated with finality.
Murtogg turned toward Mullroy with a frown.
"The Black Pearl is a real ship!" he said in a serious voice.
Mullroy glanced at Murtogg and chuckled.
"No," he then turned back to looking at Elizabeth, "No it's not!"
Murtogg wasn't ready to give up.
"Yes it is I've seen it!"
"You've seen it?" asked Mullroy now staring only at Murtogg.
"Yes!"
"You haven't seen it!" snorted Mullroy as he glanced back at Jack and Elizabeth who have remained silent so far.
"Yes I have!"
Mullroy turned back to Murtogg.
"You've seen a ship with black sails, that's crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil, that Hell itself spat him back out!"
Murtogg thought for a moment and then smiled.
"No!" but then he looked confused.
Mullroy smirked and started to turn back to Jack and Elizabeth.
"No," he snorted again.
"But I have seen a ship with black sails!" stated Murtogg bringing Mullroy's attention back to him.
Jack nudged Elizabeth and they quietly snuck around the two arguing soldiers. Elizabeth hung back a bit to hear the rest of the argument, it was hilarious.
"Oh, and no ship that's not crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that Hell itself spat him back out, could possibly have black sails, therefore couldn't possibly be any other ship than the Black Pearl. Is that what your saying?" asked Mullroy sarcastically.
Murtogg nodded his head.
"No!"
Mullroy sighed and began to turn forward again.
"Like I said, there is no real ship that can match the Interceptor!" with that Elizabeth scrambles onto the ship and runs to her father's side.
Jack looks down and smiles at her as he spins the wheel around in his hands.
"Hey! You! Get away from there!" shouted Murtogg as he and Mullroy run onto the ship and point their guns at Jack and Elizabeth.
Jack smiled at gthem and slowly push a shivering Elizabeth behind him.
"You don't have permission to be aboard there, mates!" stated Mullroy.
Jack looks at both of their rifles and then at them, still smiling.
"I'm sorry, it's just-it's such a pretty boat. Ship!" Jack corrected himself.
Murtogg glances at Jack and then Elizabeth, who is peeking out from behind him with wide eyes, suspiciously.
"What's your names?" he asked them.
Jack placed a comforting hand on Elizabeth's arm as he answers.
"Smith, or Smithy, if ye like! And this is me daughter!"
Mullroy lowers his rifle just a bit and continued to stare at Jack.
"What's your business in Port Royal, Mr. Smith?"
"Yeah, and no lies!" added Murtogg.
Jack smiles as he starts to slowly walk toward both soldiers, keeping Elizabeth behind him.
"Well, then I confess, it is my intention to take me daughter and commandeer one of these ships, pick up a crew in Tortuga, raid, pillage, plunder and otherwise pilfer my weasely black guts out!" Elizabeth giggled softly as she stared at the stupefied looks on both of Murtogg's and Mullroy's faces.
Murtogg was the first to shake himself out of it.
"I said no lies!"
Mullroy leaned over and whispered into his ear.
"I think he's telling the truth!"
"If he were telling the truth, he wouldn't have told us!" stated Murtogg as he looked at Mullroy.
"Unless, of course, he knew you wouldn't believe the truth even if he told it to you!" interrupted Jack.
Elizabeth couldn't hold the giggles in any longer as the two soldiers, again looked at Jack stupefied.
--+--
Elizabeth was curled up on her father's jacket out of the sun trying to stay awake to here him finish one of his great adventures that she had only so little heard of before. Jack was nearing the end of one such tale as Elizabeth's eyes started to close.
"…And then they made me their chief!" finished Jack.
SPLASH!
Elizabeth jolted awake and stood up, looking over the side at the ripples where she had fallen into the water.
'I am going to get to see what happened to me when I first met Ja-I mean my father!' Elizabeth thought excitedly.
Jack glanced at the soldiers as he stood beside his daughter.
"Will you be saving her then?" he asked them.
"I can't swim!" declared Mullroy, Jack looked at Murtogg who shook his head.
"Pride of the King's Navy you are!" said Jack as he removed his sword, gun belt and hat, pushing them into Elizabeth's hands, "Don't lose these!"
He then stepped onto the side of the ship and dived into the water. Just as soon as he disappears there are two big ripples on the surface of the water. Murtogg glanced at Mullroy, was now for some reason standing next to Elizabeth protectively.
"What was that?" Mullroy shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.
The wind then began to pick up, almost blowing both of their hats from their heads, and clouds block out the sun. Elizabeth begins to shiver not just from the cold but from fear. Suddenly Jack breaks the surface and hulls Elizabeth( the grown up one not our Elizabeth, Jack's daughter) toward the dock. Elizabeth runs off the ship to her father, still carrying Jack's effects, followed by Murtogg and Mullroy.
Murtogg kneels down and places an ear near Elizabeth Swann's mouth.
"She's not breathing!"
"Move!" shouts Jack as he draws out his dagger and cuts the corset from her body, Elizabeth Swann coughs and gasps as she begins to breathe again. Jack hands the corset to Murtogg.
"Never would have thought of that," stated Mullroy.
"Clearly you've never been to Singapore," stated Jack as he sat catching his breath.
Elizabeth walks toward her other self and kneels down, staring at her in awe. When Elizabeth Swann staes at her Elizabeth snaps out of it.
"Are you alright, ma'am, good thing my father was nearby when you fell!" declared Elizabeth feeling a bit of pride for Jack.
Elizabeth Swann glanced up at the little girl who kneeled beside her, curiously.
"Your fath-" she began to say as she sat up, but didn't get a chance to finish when the girl stared at the medallion that had slid out of her underdress.
Elizabeth's eyes widen as a few more memories flash in her mind and she turns to Jack with a fearful look.
"Daddy1" she whispered to Jack.
"What is it, luv," Jack then catches sight of the medallion and takes it in his hands, "Where did you get that?"
Before Elizabeth Swann could answer, Jack felt a sword poking his back and he heard his daughter gasp in fright.
"On your feet!" declared a deep voice.
Elizabeth knew that voice from anywhere, and when she turned around her suspicions were confirmed: Commodore Norrington.
Jack dropped the medallion, took Elizabeth's hand and slowly stood up. A man with a powdered wig pushes himself through the ring of soldiers toward the woman lying on the dock still staring at Elizabeth. Elizabeth knew her father, well her old father, from anywhere.
"Elizabeth, are you alright?" asked Governor Swann.
Elizabeth Swann nodded her head and slowly stood up with her father's help, still staring at the young girl beside the strange looking man who had saved her life. Governor Swann scowled at Murtogg, who was still holding the ruined corset. Murtogg immediately dropped it and pointed at Jack.
Governor Swann takes one look at Jack, not noticing the little girl at his side.
"Shoot him!"
"No!" both Elizabeth's shouted at the same time.
It was now that Norrington noticed the little girl standing beside Jack as well. He was about to say something when Elizabeth Swann spoke first.
"Father! Commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuer, and his daughter?" she asked them.
Norrington glances at the Governor's daughter and then at Jack and the girl at his side, who is looking around her in fear. Norrington sighs and sheathes his sword, followed by the rest of the soldiers who lower their guns. Jack and Elizabeth both nod their thanks to the Governor's daughter.
"I believe a thanks are in order," said Norrington as he steps forward, extending his hand.
Jack stared at it suspiciously for a second and then grabs it. Norrington immediately latches onto his sleeve and pulls it up, revealing a P branded onto Jack's arm.
"Had a brush with the East India Trading company, did we, pirate?" asked Norrington with a sneer.
Elizabeth feels a cold wave rush through her and she leans against Jack's leg, her own trembling beneath her skirt. All she could think about now was pure terror.
'Oh no!' she says to herself as a tear slides down her cheek.
-={+}=-
Another cliffy! This is a long chapter, longest one I have written in a long time! Well, what did you think? Please review, I would like to have more than 1!
-Dune
