Disclaimer: If I owned pirates I would not be writing fan fiction... don't sue me, I have no money anyway

Author's Note: Yay more pirates... so this one starts tying the plot in with events that are at least talked about in the movies. Hope you enjoy...

Josey peered excitedly out the window, watching the bustling tower they were about to go out to. At 10 she was old enough to know that something big was happening here, but she was young enough that she did not quite understand. She had gotten the part about a meeting of a court, and something about a Calypso, whatever that was.

The door to the captain's cabin opened, First Mate Barbossa stepped in. "Captain, the boats are ready."

Teague scribbled one more thing on the paper in front of him before silently rising. Barbossa left the door open as he prepared all on deck for the entrance of the captain. Josey hurried over to her teacher, eager for this new adventure. As they boarded the longboats the captain stood at the head of theirs, looking very regal and very much in charge. The young girl watched him closely, full of nothing but admiration for the man. She barely noticed when Jack hopped down into the same boat and sat beside her. Teague did notice however and turned to address his son.

"Keep an eye on the girl, lad. This is no place for her to be alone."

"Aye Cap'n." He nodded and kept his head turned away from the girl for a moment, toying with her. But a smirk crept across his lips and he finally looked over at her. This was something they were both used to by now. No place was safe for the girl as far as Teague was concerned. He protected her as if she were his own child.

They pulled up to the dock, jumped out and made it as far as the step off in to the street before Josey stopped. As a growing girl, there was little sense in trying to keep her in a pair of boots. But it was awfully muddy and disgusting in the street. Smirking, Jack turned around and allowed her to jump up on to his back, something he was quite used to doing in situations such as this.

Teague waited for them at the entrance to the fortress, where he forbade their entrance. "Why don't you go in to town for the day? We'll send for you when the meeting's over."

Jack and Josey both sighed, knowing they were being kept out of something much more interesting than an old marketplace. But neither of them was about to go against the captain so they turned back down the path. The crowded streets did have their perks. Lots of vendors (especially female ones) were willing to give hand outs to the scrawny little girl (which she of course shared with Jack, who she playfully called "Mi Caballo" (my horse) as she petted his head). He rolled his eyes, quite embarrassed, but accepted her gifts eagerly. They were looking for a place to sit and digest their many snacks when a dark skinned woman with dreadlocks came up to them. "Come," she beckoned them to a dark tent. Jack hesitated, but Josey leaned forward, curious (as always).

"I suppose you want me to follow her?"

"Si!" she said all too enthusiastically.

And he did, pushing aside the tent flap to find a small room full of knickknacks and treasures, illuminated only by a few candles. The woman was sitting at a small circular table in the center, shuffling a bunch of large cards. She motioned them to sit in the chairs across the table from her. "Sit."

Jack let the anxious Josey hop to the floor while he more cautiously stepped up to the table. "What's this all about?"

The woman smiled, a creepy sight, and pulled a card from the deck. "What kind of boy does not like to hear his fortune?"

"The one wary of strange women," Jack replied.

"Oh," she looked up at him, "there is not'ing to be afraid of, Jack Sparrow."

Horrified that she somehow knew his name, Jack turned to tell Josey they were leaving, but the girl was fascinated with the woman's trick and ignored him.

The mysterious woman laid down the card she had pulled, followed by a few more. When she had revealed all those necessary she looked over at the girl looked ready to burst with anticipation. She had no idea what was going on, but she knew it was the most interesting thing she'd seen in months.

"Your fate is harsh, little one." She began, staring the girl straight in the eye. Jack shifted nervously and the woman glanced up at him before looking back at the cards and then at the girl. "Some women love many t'ings, some love none... you... you have three loves in your future, and your loyalty to the first will tear you from the others."

The dramatic tone of her voice had Josey looking a little scared now, and Jack protectively reached to pull her away from the nonsense, but she yanked herself from his grip and stared at the fortune teller, begging for more.

"You're family... your blood... that is who you cannot betray. Of the others, I can only say this: The first to harm you is the one that truly loves you in return."

At the thought of any harm coming to his young charge Jack began to get tense. No one was going to harm her while he and their fathers were around. And who was this woman to say anything about who the girl fell in love with. That was just ... poppycock.

"Now... Jack," the woman motioned him to sit. "For you..." she pulled out something different, a bag of something that she prepared to pour out on to the table.

The young man stepped forward but did not sit down. He listened to the strange incantation the woman muttered and watched the objects scatter over the table. Looking at them, and then back at the woman Jack raised an unconvinced eyebrow. "They're rocks..."

She smiled up at him, entertained by his disbelief in her work, and waved her hands slowly over the spilled rocks without breaking eye contact.

"Many great adventures are waiting for you, but many trials as well."

That was so generic that Jack actually found it annoying. "Oh is that all," he brushed off sarcastically.

Undauntedly she continued. "Everyone you love will suffer for you, but to repay them will cost you much."

That was unhelpful as well. "Josey," Jack suddenly blurted out, "let's go."

When they had disappeared out in the busy street the fortune teller chuckled to herself. "Something... funny?" someone asked quietly, stepping up behind her. Her smile broadened as she turned.

"My love," she reached a hand out to touch his face before pulling something out of a drawer beside her. A small silver heart, which she opened to reveal the tune it played. She could not tell that the familiar sound was nearly deafening to the broken hearted man.

"I have something to show you as well," he lied, holding her hand in his own. "Come with me."

...

Jack had managed to finagle a pair of boots off of a merchant for far less than they should have cost. Apparently the man couldn't stand seeing a little girl with sad eyes and a puckered lip (sometimes Jack felt sorry for using the girl, but it was just so darn useful!). Now she didn't have to ride on his back any more which was good for his body, but bad for his mind. Now he had to keep track of the curious kid. But it didn't take long for her to run up and down the marketplace three times and decide that there was nothing else of interest. So Jack decided that it couldn't hurt to head back toward the fortress. Even if they ended up back on the dock with their feet in the water it would be more interesting than the vendors they'd seen over and over for the past three hours.

While they were technically only a few paces from the taller "building" they had to wind their way down the spiraled streets of the second, smaller section of Shipwreck Cove toward the bridge that would get them across the gap. The bright side of this was that their deliberate course was keeping the girl moving in a single direction. She was a lot easier to keep track of that way.

Suddenly she stopped dead in her tracks. Jack ran in to her so hard he nearly flipped right over her shoulders but she paid him no attention. She started leaning over the railing, staring down at the bridge. Jack peered over as well and asked "what are we looking at?"

She pointed, obviously at a loss for words, and her friend quickly understood why. The fortuneteller they had just left was walking toward the main fortress on the arm of a rather large man who appeared to be a sailor. Jack lost interest and started turning away, but Josey pulled him back and pointed again. They were going through the same door that Captain Teague and the others had gone through. Under normal circumstances this would not have been suspicious, but if there was a meeting of the Brethren Court then no one should have been entering that door.

The young man sighed, knowing very well that he and Josey were about to get themselves in to a lot of trouble. But they couldn't help it. And besides, he could blame it all on her and they'd get away with it because Teague adored the girl.

"Come on," he commanded, "I know another way in. If we're careful no one will notice us." He started sneaking his way down to the next level and crossing to the other side of the bridge. Here they had to wait for a little while, there were guards posted at the door so they had to wait for the right time to dart by. Then it was up to the second level and in a large open window as quietly as possible. Now on their hands and knees the pair scuttled across the floor until Jack halted above a knot in the floorboards. He took out a knife and easily pried the knot out. Bright light shone up through the hole now and they could more clearly hear arguing below. Jack peered in to the hole, but someone with a very large hat was standing right below so there was really nothing to see. But there was plenty to hear as many voices started shouting all at once. Angry voices soon turned in to angry fists and a brawl erupted amongst the members of the Brethren Court. Now the two youngsters took turns watching this rather entertaining sight through their peephole, laughing at the stupidity.

Suddenly, unbeknownst to the observers, someone pulled a gun and shot it in to the ceiling. It came up through the boards behind Josey, causing her to jump and give a squeal. Jack immediately grabbed her around the face, but it was too late. There was silence below for a long while before the door to their right was kicked open, the person having apparently silently snuck up the stairs. And when they saw who it was, they were not surprised.

Josey tried to call to him, but Jack's hand still firmly pressed against her mouth. The man at the door just shook his head. "I told the captain it was foolish to leave you too alone."

"It was her fault Bill!" Jack whispered angrily, wincing when an offended Josey smacked his shoulder. "Ow! Well it was your fault, if you hadn't gone to see that fortune teller we wouldn't be in this position." She looked away, slightly ashamed.

"Well you might as well come downstairs now. No point in you bein' in harm's way, what with all the guns down there."

Jack let go of his young friend and scrambled eagerly to his feet. Josey followed, but as she started to walk by her father he grabbed the collar of her vest and held her back. "You're to behave yourself down there, comprende?"(Understand?)

After a slight hesitation she nodded. "Si Papa." But apparently he didn't believe her words because he kept his hold on her all the way down to the meeting room. Once inside, he handed her off to Jack again, but sent them both a warning glance. Any more mischief and there would be dire consequences.

Looking around the room Josey realized she had met more than half of these pirates while traveling with Captain Teague. One she recognized from years before, she'd met him when her mother was still alive. And then there was the fortuneteller. She was tied up now, and struggling, fear and anger very obvious in her features. Only when someone said "Calypso" did the little girl understand. This woman was the reason they had come to this place.

Some sort of chant was going around the table of pirate lords, and it was making Calypso shake violently. Josey didn't want to take her eyes off of the excitement, but at the same time she was starting to fear whatever might be happening. She hugged Jack's arm and pressed her head to him as she anxiously gazed around the room. It was quiet now, and everyone looked to be waiting for something. They were all stunned by a burst of hurricane force wind that blew out all the doors and windows, accompanied by an inhuman wail from Calypso.

By the time everyone else stood up and brushed themselves off the poor woman was on her knees weeping. It was Captain Teague who spoke up first, and his words were the most emotionless Jack and Josey had heard from him in a long time. "Your power to transform has abandoned you Calypso. You are free to do as you wish, but you must remain in human form until the Brethren Court sees fit to release you."

Someone untied her bonds and she rose to her feet, trying to salvage as much pride as she could. Taking a deep breath she held her head high, looked once around the room, and walked out over a door that had been blown from its hinges.

Josey ran after her knowing Jack would in turn be running after her, and possibly her father as well. But she had to speak to this woman, to understand what had just happened.

"Senora!" she called out, and Calypso half-turned to look back at the girl.

"Josephina," she said with a sad smile.

For a moment the girl forgot why she had called out, caught up in the excitement of having her name known. Before she could snap out of it, the woman walked over and laid a hand on her head.

"You will understand when you are older, little one. And we will meet again. Go back inside now, your Jack is looking for you."

Josey turned to see if that was the truth, and saw that Jack was indeed standing in the doorway waiting for her. She walked to him, stopping once to glance back at the strange woman. They nodded to one another and turned their separate ways.

Jack gripped the little girl's sleeve and practically dragged her back inside. There was chaos in the meeting room again.

...

"Enough!" came the great bellow from the man at the head of the table. Jack and Josey both cringed. They knew that sound better than any of the others in the room. Teague glared around the table until everyone had settled back to their places. "Since there is no hope of any of you volunteering to give up your ship for the job," he glared again, "I, Captain Jack Teague volunteer to be keeper of the Pirate Codex set forth by Morgan and Bartholamew for the next 30 years."

Everyone's jaw dropped. Teague was giving up pirating? Jack and Josey looked at each other for an answer to the question that was on both of their minds. What was going to happen to them now? Josey's head shook slowly in anticipation of any of the options she could think of. The meeting finished up and everyone else was preparing to leave. Arrangements were made for the current keeper of the code to take Teague's place as captain and supplies were sent for. Only after all of this did Captain Teague come over to face his son and the young cabin girl. It was Josey that he addressed first.

"You have yer choice girl. You can stay here with me here, help me protect the code and all that it stands for. That's your first option. Or, you can stay with your father on the ship, becoming a pirate yourself."

Her lip quivered and her eyes were wet. This choice was too hard. Her father stepped up behind the captain and decided to voice his opinion. "I'd rather she stayed here, Captain."

Before the commanding officer could respond Jack also butted in. "And what about me?"

Teague couldn't help but smile. "Do you really think you could stand being on dry land for 30 years boy?"

Jack hung his head, knowing he most certainly could not. He hated to abandon his father, but he was a pirate at heart. The sea was his home and he could not leave it. In a rare act of maturity he held out his hand to his father. "It was an honor serving under you sir."

The captain took his son's hand, but also patted his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

Josey watched this with tears streaming down her cheeks. Now she knew what she had to choose. Scrubbing the moisture from her cheeks she looked up at the three men she loved, and then down at her new boots before muttering "I choose to be una pirata."

"Josey, no!" her father scolded.

"You shouldn't," Jack whispered. But when she wove her arms around his he did not complain.

Teague nodded and smiled. "I wish you luck Lass. Maybe someday you'll have your own ship and crew to show off to me."

She nodded sadly without looking up at him.

"Jack, take care of her."

"Aye Captain."

Bootstrap was still shaking his head at the decision to let the girl stay on the crew.