Chapter 2:

"Gibbs," Jack Sparrow called out when he entered the deck from the captain's quarters only hours after setting sail.

"Aye?" was Gibbs' only response.

"Go into my room and tell me there isn't a girl hiding," he instructed in a whisper. Following Sparrow's order Gibbs slowly entered the room. Sure enough, hidden behind boxes was Martha.

"Aye, she's there," Gibbs said stepping on deck near the captain, "what say we do?"

"She looks oddly familiar. Doubt she's a friend of mine, much too young," Jack said still looking at the door to his cabins.

"Perhaps one of the crew members snuck her on board," Gibbs suggested. They exchanged a questioning glance before Jack approached the door. Into the quarters he went, alone, to speak with the young lady.

Martha was still sitting in the same spot behind the boxes. She did not care that she had been found. By this point they would not turn around to bring her back to Tortuga. It would only add time to their voyage. If he had any sliver of a heart (which she knew he did by the stories her mother told) she would be on the boat until their next port.

"Love, you best come out now," Jack suggested as he closed the door behind him. Martha slowly brought herself to her feet. She was only a little shorter than Jack. Even at 16 she wasn't intimidated.

"Hello, Captain," she smiled a sly grin.

Jack had a way of thinking. He put innocence upon Martha without even knowing her. Without knowing who her parents were or how she was raised, he assumed she was not a child that desired to be a pirate. To him, Martha may have seemed like a love struck lass who had mistakenly jumped ship when her lover joined the crew.

"What's your name, love?" he asked looking her up and down. He, like most men, fell victim to her beauty. Martha was familiar looking to Sparrow, but he couldn't figure out why. He was intrigued to know more about her.

"Martha," her smile dropped and she took a step away from Jack, sensing his steps toward her.

"Martha, why are you hiding aboard my ship?" he asked getting right to the point.

"I actually needed to speak to you," she said as best she could without it sounding suggestive. She was hiding in his personal quarters. She didn't want him to assume that this meeting meant anything more than help finding Will. "I need help finding someone."

"And what makes you think I'll help?" he asks beginning to realize that she wasn't there for what he thought.

"You knew my mother," Martha began as Jack walked toward the windows on one side of the room. He paused at the word mother.

"Did I, know your father?" he asked still facing the windows.

"Yes. In fact, you knew him very well," she explains. This concerned Jack. He thought to the women he knew sixteen years before. There were many of them.

"Right, what can I do for you?" he asked turning to face her. She was surprised by his eagerness, but quickly accepted it.

"I need your help in finding someone," she repeated.

"Can't hardly help you find them if you don't tell me who it is you're looking for, love," he noted.

"William Turner," she said without fear. If anyone could find Will, Jack was the one.

"Turner? Why would you want to find him?" he questioned sitting on the table behind him.

"That does not concern you," Martha said under her breath causing Jack to become annoyed by her secretiveness.

"I'm afraid I really can't help you," Jack said. He, more than anyone, wanted to stay away from Will. After everything that had happened with Elizabeth they hadn't been on the best of terms. Yes, Jack saved Will's life, but anyone could see it was done for Elizabeth. They remained friends but Jack couldn't look at Will without thinking of his beautiful wife.

"Why not?" she asked taking a step closer to him.

"Because," he began to think of an excuse, "it's not safe for a young lass such as your self to be amongst pirates."

"Pirating is in my blood, Mr. Sparrow," she insisted stepping closer again. This time Jack stood from the table closing the small gap still between them. Jack remained in the same spot as Martha's hand slowly moved closer to him. In one swift motion she pulled from his belt his own sword and shifted it to her right hand. She held it pointed at him.

"Now it isn't much of a fair fight if you've got me sword, now is it?" he chuckled a little at the sight of a young lady in a full dress with a sword.

"Then make it fair Mr. Sparrow, pick up a sword," she insisted nodding toward the sword that sat on the other side of the table. Jack simply shrugged and walked toward the sword. When he had it in hand he strode back toward where Martha stood. In her left hand she held her dress and in her right she held the sword she had taken from Jack.

In one swift motion Jack took a swing toward Martha. Immediately she was able to block it with her own sword. Jack then took another swing at her underestimating her ability to use smaller movements. He stepped toward her and she stepped back slightly as to keep a manageable distance between the two of them. With a smirk Jack swung again, this time she swung back. He was surprised by the force that came with each swing.

"Not bad, for a beginner," Jack smiled at her as he took three steps closer. Her back was only inches from the door to the main deck.

"I'm no beginner," she returned with a smile.

"Well then that was bloody awful," he retorted. He then took another swing jumping more into it causing Martha to step back against the door. Dropping her dress from her left hand she slid it behind her to grasp the doorknob. As Jack took another swing she began to turn the knob. He jumped toward her in time to have her open the door and let him fall onto the deck.

"Still think I'm only a beginner?" she asked as he stood up. They were now in full view of the crew. As her voice rang out the men turned to look at her. Some of them were shocked to see a young girl with a sword at hand (they hadn't had a girl so young on board since Elizabeth herself) while others were more shocked that she had knocked their captain to the floor.

"I'll admit you've got something," Jack began sensing the eyes of his crew on him, "but I was taking it easy."

"Well stop," she smiled swinging again. They continued their sword fight and made such a scene that the entire crew had left their positions to watch. The deck was filled with the sound of the crew cheering on the young girl and their captain. Hooking the tip of her sword into the handle of his she was able to pull the sword from Jack's grasp and launch it into the air. Silence fell when she caught it and Jack was stuck with both swords crossing over his neck.

"Still think it's not safe for me, Mr. Sparrow?" she whispered into his ear. With a chuckle she lowered the swords from his throat.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" he asked as she handed a sword back to him.

"I've already told you," she began only to be interrupted by Jack.

"Right, right, it's in your blood. Well love, then you should know not to give a sword back to a man you've just been in a fight with, because then that fight that you thought was over is not truly over," he smirked raising his sword once again.

Then he swung again with the hopes of beating Martha. He continued to step closer to her causing her back to hit the railing of the ship. This time Martha reached toward his belt to pull the gun from him. She pointed it at his chest. He immediately began to back up. He dropped the sword from his hand and stood still in the middle of the deck.

"Cheater," he whined.

"Blood of a pirate, Mr. Sparrow. I don't have to play by the rules," she smirked, "Now will you help me or won't you?"

"No," he insisted.

"Really, you'd refuse to help me while I've got a gun pointed at your head?" she questioned raising the pistol to his head. Jack let out a sigh and agreed to help her find Will.

"Here you are," Jack said tossing his compass to Martha as they approached the wheel of the ship.

"What am I to do with this?" she asked opening it. She, in fact, knew the importance of this compass based on what her mother had told her. Elizabeth had used the compass to find Will, but that was all her mother had said about it. She watched it as it spun in her hands.

"With that in your hands, love, you can lead us to the Flying Dutchman," he explains.

"Why can't you do it?" she asked as the spinning arrow slowed.

"Because, my dear, this compass points to whatever you want most. You, for some odd reason, want to find mister Will Turner. I, on the other hand, want most not to find Will Turner therefore the compass will not help me help you find him."

"You're saying this compass points to whatever I desire most in the world?" she asks with big eyes. The arrow then began to pick up speed again, "What if I don't know what I desire most in this world?"

"You better decide soon," he advised as he watched the arrow spin from over her shoulder. As it slowed and picked its direction Jack ordered the crew around.

"Sparrow," Martha called showing him the compass with the stopped arrow.

"Captain. Captain Jack Sparrow," he objected under his breath as he strode toward the wheel.