A/N: Well I would like to announce that the new version of ROTM has been released. It's not much different from the last one but a few things have been changed that involve this story. Again I'm sorry for the lack of chapters but work and school has been a bitch and has taken up most of my time. Also I have been having terrible writer's block.
Chapter 3: A Drop In for Jack Sparrow
"En Garde!"
Liana gripped her wooden sword firmly with both hands as she advanced on Sarah. It had been three days since Liana's horse carriage escapade and Emma took this opportunity to leave her daughter in Sarah's care, hoping that Liana could stay out of trouble for at least one day.
It was no trouble for Sarah since nighttime was usually the busiest at the tavern. Liana let out a high-pitched growl as she swung her sword at Sarah.
The girls laughed as they continued to take swings at each other. Both lacking in skill but it didn't seem an essential. Though she was ten years older than her, Sarah found herself unable to keep up with this child. She certainly had a wild energy.
Sarah jumped back as Liana attempted to charge at her. Unable to stop, Liana tripped and fell on all fours in the dirt. Sarah stopped for a moment in concern but smirked when Liana stood up and brushed herself off.
Sarah held up her hands in surrender, letting her sword drop to the ground, "Sweetie, I need a break," she said, between huffs. Sarah reached out for Liana who dropped her sword and took her hand as they sat in front of Sarah's house.
She pulled out a small leather sack she had placed by the porch and reached into it, pulling out two fruit pies. Liana licked her lips and her eyes gleamed in want from the sweet aroma of the pastry, a divine pleasure for a child. Sarah took a bite out of one as she handed the other to Liana who wolfed it down. Sarah laughed as she saw Liana's face covered in strawberry syrup.
"You are such a hog, Liana." Sarah commented as she used her apron to wipe Liana's face.
"Mmggfff!"
Liana had meant to say, "No, I'm not!" but the whole pastry she shoved in her mouth had muffled her speech.
Sarah laughed as Liana put her whole body into swallowing causing her face to contort into peculiar expressions therefore bringing out more laughter from Sarah. The girls sat with quiet contentment as they continued to feast on more fruit pies and listen to the town's ongoing activity.
Sarah's house was located near the main shopping central of Plymouth so the streets were exceptionally active. None of the activities seemed apparent to Liana as she fixated her gaze on a group of young schoolboys, carrying their books and chattering among themselves as they returned from a long day at school.
"I want to go to school," Liana spoke up out of the blue. Sarah followed her gaze to the schoolboys who had all scattered around the shops, "Believe me Liana, you don't need school if you want to learn."
"What do you mean?" Liana asked, fiddling with the now empty sack. Sarah turned to face her, "I mean you'll be surprised how much you can learn at home, without school."
Liana's curiosity was sparked, meeting Sarah's eyes in complete interest, "Like what?"
Sarah smirked proudly to herself; glad she had caught Liana's attention, "Come in and I'll show you."
Liana jumped to her feet in excitement and ran into the house just as Sarah opened the door.
Being neither poor nor rich, her father was indeed able to afford a decent house. Sarah pitched in her help by working for Emma at the tavern after turning eighteen. Her house was adorned with unfamiliar items from her father's travels, everything from jewelry, portraits, wines and anything else you can think of. As Sarah ran upstairs to her room, Liana took this time to observe her surroundings.
The walls flourished with hanging beaded necklaces of the brightest colors and portraits of different qualities, a small rounded table sat in the middle of the room with a few candles on top with only two chairs around it. A small bed was off in the corner below the window with a few letters scattered all over the blankets. Liana approached as her eyes fixed on a small leather pouch. Picking it up, it rattled with a jingle. Before she could even open it, a hand came out of nowhere and snatched it away.
"Don't touch this." Sarah said firmly as she pocketed it. Of course Liana's curious mind had to know, "What is it?"
"It's from my father." She said nonchalantly, "He is in Ireland working on a trade right now."
Although it wasn't much information, Liana understood perfectly well of the matter. Sarah's father was a merchant sailor and would many times be gone for several weeks. He always had his daughter first in his heart and would often send her money from wherever he was. He would come back with hundreds of stories and many keepsakes from the lands he visited.
Sarah sat on the end of the bed and pulled out a crumpled piece of parchment. Liana hopped up on the bed to get a closer look.
"My father brought this back from Versailles." Sarah explained as she opened up the crumpled paper, "I thought you would want to see it."
Liana took the paper as Sarah handed it to her. A bit worn but the fine print was still readable as she placed the paper on her lap, smoothing it out as she began to read it.
Wanted
A Royal Navy Arrest Warrant is hereby issued
for the capture of
Jack Sparrow
Wanted for acts of piracy and brigandage. Responsible for numerous attacks on East India and French vessels in the Atlantic and Caribbean waters. Wears a brown overcoat with a tricorned hat, brown hair with beaded dreadlocks and carries a sword and pistol. Approach with caution.
One hundred francs reward for his capture.
A rough, sketch of this Jack Sparrow was included with the description. Liana ran her fingers softly along the drawing as she pushed her mind to recollect. As hard as she tried, she couldn't recall a single story with this man's name from her father.
She tilted her head in puzzlement, "Who is this?"
Sarah looked at her incredulously, "I was quite sure your father told you about Jack Sparrow."
Liana shook her head. The truth was Edward knew all about him but was never able to tell his daughter anything for Emma wouldn't allow it. Although confused, Edward didn't think anything of it and respected his wife's regulation.
Sarah sat next to Liana, her eyes on the sketch as she began to tell of him. Liana listened attentively, her eyes widening with such captivation over this pirate she has never heard of.
A Bit Later:
Liana's heart hammered away as she ran with all her might. Her adrenaline running high as her mind overflowed from excitement over the stories she was just told. Everything flew past her as she kept running, kicking up dirt as she went. She ducked, stumbling on her own feet as she almost collided into a young woman who was window-shopping. The woman let out a cry as Liana zipped past her, almost falling as she jumped out of her way. Recovering from her encounter, she shot a death glare toward Liana, who was already gone.
Liana finally came to a halt at her destination. She crouched with her hands on her knees, panting heavily as she struggled to catch her breath. Across the street stood "The Poor Man's Wealth". From her spot across the way, she could see her father resting on the front porch leaning leisurely against the wall with his foot propped lazily on the porch railing, enjoying the contentment of being alone as he took a puff from his cigar.
Not wanting to disturb him of his relaxation, Liana left the cul-de-sac and strolled down a different road. Normally she would just duck into the house right across from the tavern to see Michael and Samantha but not today for they were under the care of their Aunt Mary while their mother went to the shops.
Liana swore under her breath at the very thought of Aunt Mary.
Mary Louise was Michael and Samantha's Aunt from their mother's side. Liana had pondered for years the motive for Mary's aversion towards her without success. Truth be told, Mary coincidently was always at the right place at the right time when it came to nosing in other people's business.
It was eight years ago when she just happened to stumble into such business. That one night she decided to go for a late night walk following an eventful day at her sister's house. It was on this day that she found out her sister was carrying her second child. Exciting news it would have been if it weren't for Mary's sister already caring for a son who was not even a year old. All day, Mary was consumed by concern for her sister's situation.
A late night walk would most indeed clear her mind. She stopped in her tracks as she heard whispering coming from the tavern just up the street. Thinking nothing of it, she went on her way. Seeing two figures coming in her direction, she quickly backed through an alleyway after recognizing one of their voices.
Emma Morgan, who at a young age, had won quite a bit of respect from those who knew her, the one who Mary had such respect due to her strong willed nature, was skipping merrily down the road alongside a scruffy looking man. His wild, unkempt hair, bejeweled with countless trinkets, swung about as he followed her lead, keeping his body close as his hands explored whatever part of her body they could as the couple sauntered down the road, drunk on each other's passion and desire.
Judging by the way they kept whispering to each other and their silent giggles, Mary guessed this affair was a secret.
It was only a few weeks later that Emma was with child and this man simply disappeared. Two years after her child was born, she managed to get married to Edward Carter, the bookkeeper. Keeping the child's real father a secret turned out to be easier than expected for Edward was rather fond of this child and had no hesitation in calling her his. This choice alone drove no attention to Liana's real identity for everyone already assumed he was her father.
Except, of course, for Mary who knew the truth. Seeing Liana playing around the town with her mischievous nature was like a sign from the Almighty himself. Mary had allowed all respect for Emma to be damned to the depths, never to be recovered. The thought of knowing this secret, that Emma's young daughter was born out of a life that pulsed the blood of a society outcast and a scandalous crook sickened her to her very soul, for no pirate was ever respected
Having these facts completely shrouded from her knowledge, Liana just learned to deal with this unexpected hatred. She approached with caution as she reached the front porch of the two-story house. The smell of fresh paint tickled Liana's nose as she peeked through one of the windows.
Mary was fast asleep on a rocking chair. Her head lolled on one side with her mouth slightly open as the chair rocked softly back and forth. Liana smirked in relief but thought for the better not to go in via the front door for Mary was a very light sleeper.
With a pensive frown, she backed away from the window. It was there that Liana noticed the giant oak tree standing by the side of the house, near the window where Liana knew Michael and Samantha's room would be. She didn't have to think twice of the idea before she was already halfway up the tree.
As she reached the higher branches, Liana was able to get a good view into the nearest window. Samantha was stretched lazily across her bed busying herself with a game of Cat's Cradle. Her leg dangled off the bed, swinging absently back and forth as she moved her fingers in, out and around the yarn, inventing her own moves as she went.
Michael was sitting at the desk across from his sister, focused on his studies. It wasn't something for Liana to question considering it was quite late in the day to still be studying. She knew Michael was such an absorber when it came to learning and always found himself studying from books that weren't assigned and studying things that had nothing to do with his schoolwork, not for just his own satisfaction but for Liana and Samantha's as well. He would learn and teach them in the process, showing them everything he was learning so they were equal in their intelligence.
Liana did not hesitate as she reached out toward the window and softly rapped her knuckles on the thin glass. All activity ceased as both heads turned toward the window. Michael almost laughed at seeing his friend hovering on a rickety branch just outside his window. Just as quickly as it came, he suppressed his laughter for he knew to expect these unpredictable actions from her.
He opened the window as his sister hopped on the second bed nearest the window. Michael casually rested his forearms on the windowsill with his sister mimicking his posture as he waited for Liana to speak.
Reading their expressions, Liana quickly stated the answer as to why she was where she was, "Aunt Mary."
Michael and Samantha shared a look before nodding in realization. "So what brings you here?" Michael asked.
Liana shrugged, "Well, I was rather hoping that you would come out to Vernway Dock, the both of you. I have the most extraordinary story "
Both children grinned in glee at their friend's proposal, yearning for liberation. This was a chance for an escape to adventure for both of them after being cooped up in their rooms to die of boredom.
"Give us a few minutes and we'll be down." Michael said before shutting the window. Liana watched as he took his sister's hand, helping her off the bed as they both went for the door.
Liana surged with enthusiasm as she began to make her way down the tree. She froze at the sound of a loud crack. At the same time, the wobbly branch she was hanging on began to shake. She grasped the branch tightly, dropping her legs and swiftly wrapping them around the branch.
The sound of the branch cracking ceased slightly as Liana began to slowly shimmy down the branch. Breathing a sigh of relief, she uncrossed her ankles and continued climbing down, taking caution as she put one foot behind the other.
She slowly slid off the branch as she placed both feet on a thin branch below her. She gasped as it snapped, leaving her to dangle a good distance from the ground. She let out a scream as she lost her grip and fell out of the tree.
It was earlier that day that Jack Sparrow arrived into the continuous activities of Devon. A familiarized contentment fell upon him as he walked off the dock, observing the city he had not seen in eight years. Knowing his task would be a difficult one, he decided to give himself a treat and wandered in search of a pub. After all, 'The Poor Man's Wealth' wasn't the only place to indulge himself in the pleasure of his precious rum.
Shuffling past an old oak tree, he stopped when he realized what road he was on, a road tarnished with countless memories of Emma Morgan. He could remember taking her down this road as a shortcut to his ship, the feelings brewing inside him as he relived each moment. He could remember waiting outside the tavern as she climbed out her window late in the night, the excitement of being with her mixed with the apprehensive adrenaline of knowing they could be caught. He remembered the last night he saw her at the harbor. The sadness he felt in knowing he broke her heart and knowing that even though he denied it, he did dream of seeing her again and saw the key he possessed as his opportunity.
Not knowing why he was feeling this way, he shook it off and was about to get moving when he heard a scream from above. Looking up, it only took a second before he was flat on his stomach. Feeling a pair of hands pushing on his back, he immediately thought a young woman threw herself on him for a chance of having him, something that occurred often in Tortuga and Singapore.
Waiting for her to speak but not hearing a word from her, he decided to speak first, "Look luv, if you really wanted me that badly, all ye had to do was ask."
He rolled over on his back as he felt the weight lift off. Looking over to see who was on him, he froze as he found himself staring into the eyes of a small child. A young girl to be exact, her braids blew in the soft wind as she stared back with wonderment.
Jack unfroze as he cocked his head, raising one eyebrow. Not knowing what to say, he said the first thing that came to his mind, "Hey, you're not a beautiful woman…"
Liana cocked an eyebrow at him. Although she had no clue as to what he meant, she knew who this man was. She was meeting a real pirate! She wanted so badly to say something but her mind had gone blank. Frantically she tried to get herself to speak.
'Speak, damn you! Speak! Say something!'
"What's the matter?" Jack asked in a teasing manner as he stood up, "Cat got your tongue?"
Liana managed to blink a few time but no words for she was still in complete awe over the fact that she was face to face with the notorious Jack Sparrow, just minutes after hearing of him.
Jack looked away for a minute, laughing to himself as he wondered why was he wasting his time teasing a child. He certainly had more pressing matters to attend to. He put his hands on his knees as he went down to her level, his face a few inches from hers.
"Look little missy," he said soft but firmly, "I don't know what kind of game you're playing here but I have better things to do than sit here wasting my time with the likes of you."
Taking this as a sign to shove off, Liana began to back away slowly but not fast enough for Jack's patience. Jack lunged forward swiftly, "Get lost!"
Liana gasped and took off running. Instead of going down the road to the coastline, she ducked behind Aunt Mary's house. She stood behind the corner, waiting for Jack to be on his way.
Jack smiled with self-satisfaction. Taunting a child can be fun and was something Jack has done a few times before but he felt there was something different with this child. He felt she was familiar in someway, a slight connection he could feel. He shrugged it off, not wanting to drive himself crazy with the thoughts as he turned and walked away.
Liana peeked out from behind the house, watching this man swagger away in such a peculiar manner. He didn't seem like the pirate in the stories Sarah told her but his face was definitely the same from the wanted poster's sketch.
Liana rushed down the sandy path with her friends trailing behind her. Vernway Dock was an old abandoned port in the forest behind 'The Poor Man's Wealth'. A partially rundown boathouse was all that remained on the pier, surrounded by a beautiful secluded coast.
The boathouse served as a playground for the children and a place to go when they needed time away from their families. Inside was always dark until Samantha ripped down the dusty curtains from the enormous windows, giving a nice view of the ocean.
The upstairs room was where the children would mostly spend their time for it was the cleanest of the rooms. It also happened to be filled with many items of interest. An old armoire stood to the far corner of the room; a cot with a worn mattress was to the other. A pair of doors opened to a small balcony with a beautiful view of the sunset.
The children guessed that whoever lived there left quite recently for the house was still furnished. As the children ran into the room, Liana jumped on the bed along with Samantha and began to bounce around. Michael went for the double doors and pushed them open to let in some air.
"So what is this 'extraordinary story' you wanted to tell us?" Michael asked Liana.
In her excitement, she leapt off the bed and went to her knees. She pried a bit at a loose floorboard before it broke off. Setting the board aside, she reached in and pulled out a small tin box, no bigger than a jewelry box, and placed it on her lap as she sat cross-legged. As she did this, Michael took a candle from the night table and lit it. He placed it on the floor as he sat next to Liana.
"Before I say anything, I want you to repeat after me." Liana stated as the kids gave her their full attention, "Spiders, snakes and lizard heads."
"Spiders, snakes and lizard heads." The siblings repeated.
"If I shall tell, I'll die till I'm dead."
"If I shall tell, I'll die till I'm dead." As if on cue, all three kids busted out laughing. They always said their oath before anything was shared but it was still funny.
"Alright, now tell us." Samantha said as her giggles quieted down.
Liana opened the box as she cleared her throat, "Today at Sarah's, I was told tales of a pirate I never knew existed. His name is Captain Jack Sparrow." She pulled out the wanted poster and unfolded it for her friends to see, "I figured this could go in our box."
"So what ship he is captain of?" Michael asked as he studied the picture.
Liana leaped to her feet, "The Black Pearl. Many say its one of the fastest ships out there, nigh uncatchable. Sarah told me Captain Sparrow is supposedly one of the most fearsome pirates of the Spanish Main."
"Supposedly, huh?" Michael said with a laugh, "What has he done that is so "fearsome"?"
Liana grabbed the piece of wood, swinging it around like a sword, "I heard he sacked an entire port without firing a single shot. That he also vanished without a trace from seven agents of the East India Trading Company, hear they've been hunting him for years."
Samantha hopped off the bed, "There is no way…"
"But that's not the extraordinary," Liana cut her off, " Today while I was in the tree, I met him."
She said the last bit at almost a whisper as if someone would be listening in from the window. Michael furrowed his brows, "You met him up in the tree?"
"No!" Liana exclaimed with a laugh at the image, "I fell off the tree and he was there."
"I think you are lying." Michael said, ducking just in time as Liana swung the piece of wood at him.
"Believe what you want, Michael. I don't care." Liana told him, giving another playful swing with the wood.
Samantha smiled, "Well I believe you."
Liana returned the smile, "Thanks."
Back At The Tavern:
Emma's fingers flew upon the ivory keys as she played lovely melodic melodies. It didn't take long for her to get lost in the world of her music. With no particular song in mind, she would just play, pausing every now and then to write the notes to what she just played in her diary.
Her concentration broke as a voice spoke from behind her, "Emma, they have been gone all day!"
The voice was from Katherine Owens, a good friend of Emma's and Michael and Samantha's mother. Emma sighed heavily as she shut her diary and turned on the piano bench to face her friend.
"It's not like them." She shook her head disappointingly as she spoke, "She was supposed to tell Sarah to walk her home."
Sarah tensed as she was clearing up the tables by Katherine. Emma didn't blame her but she still couldn't help but feel responsible for Liana not returning home right away. The matter was that Liana lied to get Sarah to not walk her home so she could be able to go to see her friends.
Katherine stood up and began to pace as Sarah cleared the half-drunken glass of sherry from her table, "You can't always rely on children to do the right thing."
Emma smirked to herself as she peeked out the window, her eyes wandering the darkness of the city. It was after she watched the last stumbling drunk leave 'The Poor Man's Wealth' when she spotted three small figures dashing toward the tavern in such urgency.
"They're here!" she declared as the front door swung open. Liana burst in like a phantom and collapsed on one of the tables, heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Michael and Samantha trailed in after, leaning on each other for support as Katherine approached them.
"Why weren't you two at Aunt Mary's?" she demanded, "I was worried sick about you two!"
"We just wanted to play, Mama." Samantha spoke chirpily, not really understanding the seriousness of the matter. Michael snorted in an attempt not to laugh as Liana covered her face to hide her smile. Katherine was not pleased.
"Let's go now." She commanded, "I'll deal with you two when we get home."
Michael took Samantha's hand as Katherine led them out the door. As the door shut, Liana stood up and went for the stairs.
"Wait just one moment, young lady," Emma's stern voice spoke up causing Liana to freeze. She turned to face her mother, bracing herself.
"Just what were you doing? You were supposed to have Sarah walk you here!" Emma demanded. Liana hung her head as her heart hammered away. She didn't like being yelled at.
Emma waited expectantly before going to her daughter and seized her by her arms, "Liana Morgan Carter, you will answer me."
"I'm sorry, Mama…" Liana whispered, evading her piercing gaze as she stared at her hands that were held in front of her since her mother had a grip on her arms. Her eyes glistened as she felt the disappointment her mother was feeling toward her.
Seeing her daughter about to burst into tears, Emma's stern expression softened as she pulled her daughter into her arms. Emma was not used to bringing out the firm hand on her daughter but not knowing where she was in such a large city was a scary sensation. She appeared calm and collected with Katherine but inside she was just as worried.
"It's alright, Liana," Emma whispered soothingly, "You just scared me. Don't ever do that again." She held Liana for a bit more before pulling away, "Now lets get you ready for bed."
After a hot bath, Emma was tucking in Liana as she settled for sleep. She sat at the edge of her daughter's bed, smoothing out her long brown locks as Liana gazed at her lovingly.
"Will you sing me a song?" Liana asked.
Emma smirked, "Well, which song would you like to hear?"
Liana looked away for a minute as she pondered, "I don't know." She giggled at her response, knowing that was not a real answer. Emma rolled her eyes, "Alright I have one for you."
Emma cleared her throat before she began to sing a song she wrote when Liana was five.
"I will watch you in the darkness I will watch through the night For the light will take you I will guard you with my bright wings
Show your love will see you through
When the bad dreams wake you crying
I'll show you all love can do
Hold you in my arms
Give you dreams where no one will be
I will watch through the dark
Till the morning comes
Through the night to see
Our light, showing us all love can be
Stay till your heart learns to see
All love can be"
Liana's lips stretched into a peaceful smile as she listened to her mother's delicate and flawless voice. Emma brushed Liana's cheek softly as she leaned down and kissed her daughter good night. With that, she stood up and closed her bedroom door as she left to go downstairs to close the tavern and lock up.
As she busied herself with moving the tankards under the bar, she jumped up startled as a loud knocking disturbed the silence of the empty tavern.
"Sorry, we're closed." Emma called out. The knocking continued causing Emma a bit of fear. Thinking it could be someone wanting to do harm, she snatched a corkscrew off the counter as she moved toward the door.
She opened the door enough to peek her head out. A rugged pirate stood before her, weary and dirty. He seemed to have traveled a long way judging by the brackish scent of ocean water he carried. She was about to tell him off when she realized who it was. Her heart leaped to her throat as she lowered her hand, letting the corkscrew drop to the floor.
"Jack?" she whispered.
Stepping into the light, Jack Sparrow looked her up and down, taking in the presence of the woman who stood before him. All he could ask himself was has it really been eight years?
"Hello, Emma."
A/N: Again I apologies for not bringing this chapter out sooner but I have been doing housekeeping and babysitting all day, three times a week for one of my mom's friends plus school and helping out in my mom's business. Chapters will still be coming at a slow pace but I will be doing my best to bring them out as quickly as possible but be patient for I am not WonderWoman.