Tara knocked on one of the double doors and looked up at the impressive house. The butler opened the door.

'Can I help you Miss?' he asked.

'Hopefully…I'm looking for the Swann's,' said Tara.

'The butler looked her up and down, disapprovingly. Why wouldn't he? Not many women wore red and black dresses with the black corset on the outside. Even fewer wore black stilettos and eyeliner.

'On what business?' he questioned her.

'Personal matters,' she answered, 'Sir? Are you going to stand there, or let me in?'

The butler frowned and moved aside.

'Wait here please,' he instructed, then hurried away into the depths of the house.

Tara looked around the foyer. Not bad… she thought. Despite its colour, the large room seemed comfortable. She looked up at the clock in the far corner. It read 1:40. She jumped slightly as she heard footsteps from behind her and spun around.

Her cousin stopped at the bottom of the stairs, staring at her blankly.

'Good day…can I help you with anything?' Liz asked.

Tara squinted slightly, as if trying to see her better. 'Liz…?'

Liz looked back in the same way. Her eyes went wide. 'Tara?'

Tara grinned. 'Hello…'

Liz crossed the room in a stride. 'Tara it's been so long!' She pulled her into a hug. Tara gasped, Liz was cutting off her air supply.

'Liz, Liz!' she choked.

'What is going on?'

Liz let go and turned to see Weatherby and the butler in the parlour doorway.

'It's Tara!' she said excitedly, gesturing at her cousin.

The Governor frowned, confused. 'Tara? Tara Bell? Goodness, you do look different.'

Tara massaged her neck. 'Is that a good thing?'

Liz laughed. 'Come, you must meet my fiancée, he's heard a lot about you.' She took Tara by the arm and started leading her out the door.

'Aren't you coming Uncle?' Tara asked over her shoulder.

The Governor followed them out the doors and into the stagecoach.

'Will! Come, sit, eat!'

Will eyed Liz cautiously, but kissed her on the cheek nonetheless, he shook hands with Weatherby and took his seat at the table, raising an eyebrow at Liz and looking pointedly at Tara.

'Tara Jacklyn Bell,' said Tara off his look, leaning over the table to shake Will's hand, 'born a Swann.'

Will smiled. 'Ah, the famed cousin.'

'Jacklyn? Holly named you Jacklyn! Said the Governor in surprise, 'Why on earth did she do that!'

'Many girls are given a feminine form of their father's name,' commented Will.

Weatherby suddenly looked interested. 'So you know who your father is then?'

Tara's mouth went dry, she hadn't spoken of her father in more than a year, not even when she'd found out who he was. 'Ahhh…No, no I don't…'

For the next two hours, she sat in silence listening to the others discussing the wedding and guests.

By the end of the "ordeal", she was exhausted and needed to redress her wounds. The Governor hurried off on business, promising Tara he'd see her the next day, and if not, at the wedding. Liz and Will walked her to the Inn.

'Which room are you staying in?' asked Liz.

'13A…I think…' answered Tara.

'Are you sure you are really that tired?' Liz said, 'I would love to show you around Port Royal.'

Tara smiled. 'Thankyou, but I really should rest, unless of course you want a zombie at your wedding. I could pull that off quite nicely.'

Will laughed. 'Are you absolutely sure we've never met? There is something incredibly familiar about you.'

Tara shook her head. 'This is my first time in Port Royal.'

'Hmmm…must be something else then,' Will murmured thoughtfully.

With farewells said and the-soon-to-be Mr. And Mrs Turner heading off up the hill, Tara hurried back to her room to check her wounds. They were slightly better today, not bleeding as much, but still hurting like hell. She changed the bandages then put on her sleeping clothes. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!

'Tara! Wake up, please!'

Elizabeth's voice pierced Tara's sleep, forcing her awake.

'Tara, please, please, wake up!' she sounded excited.

Tara stumbled from her, pulled on her robe and crossed the tiny room glancing at the clock above the dresser. 4:15am.

'Elizabeth,' she said opening the door, 'it's four in the morning, the sun hasn't risen yet.'

Liz was smiling and was very clearly ecstatic about something. 'Oh, please you must come,' she started quickly, 'our friend is arriving, and I would love for you to meet him.'

Tara rested her head on the doorframe.

'Alright, I'll meet you outside, let me get dressed.'

Liz hurried away and Tara closed the door. She threw on a blue and yellow dress, brushed her hair and applied the essentials, eyeliner and shadow. Then exited the building.

Liz and Will were waiting outside. It was surprisingly dark; the sun was beginning to rise.

'Sorry to wake you,' apologised Will, 'but we thought you'd like to meet him, he has his own ship, that's why it's so early.'

'That's alright,' yawned Tara, 'happens all the time…well no, it doesn't, but I don't blame you.'

Liz grabbed Tara's left arm and started half-dragging her down the hill. Tara glanced at Will and they both hid their laughter. It was only when they were halfway to their destination, when Tara saw it. Anchored at the end of the longest dock was the ship she hated most, the Black Pearl…

She gaped and stumbled. 'Is that the Black Pearl?'

Will nodded. 'Our friend is the Captain. Jack Sparrow.'

Tara felt a wave of fury mixed with shock. This was not going to be good. As they reached the dock, she could see the dark silhouettes of the crew moving about the ship. She could see the Captain on the dock. He was coming towards them.

Liz let out an excited squeal, let go of Tara's arm and ran towards him, enveloping him in the same bone-breaking hug as she had Tara. Will walked up to the pirate a lot more calmly, embracing him like a brother.

'Ow, luv,' Jack said, 'ease up on the hugs, will you?'

Will and Liz laughed.

'Oh, Jack, I'd like you to meet someone,' said Liz suddenly, pulling Tara forward, 'this is my cousin.'

Tara looked off to one side determinedly, avoiding his eye.

'You seem somewhat familiar, have we met?' he asked her, 'Look up at me girlie, didn't your parents teach you anything?'

Tara's eyes went wide she looked at Jack furiously.

Jack's mouth fell open in shock. 'Tara!'

WHAM!

Tara punched him hard in the nose. He stumbled back, surprised. She took advantage of his stupor by shoving him down by the shoulders and kneeing him in the stomach.

She pushed past Will and Liz and stalked back up the hill to her room at the Inn.

There, she closed the door and leaned against it, crumbling to the floor.

xXx

'Where'd she learn to punch like that?' groaned Jack, collapsing on a chair in the Captains Quarters of his ship, holding his nose in pain.

'I'm not sure, she has only been here three days,' replied Liz curiously, 'why did she hit you?'

'It's a long story, luv,' answered Jack.

Will sat in a chair across from him. 'We have all day.'

xXx

It was almost five in the evening when Tara started moving at a more rapid pace than she had all day, which she had spent at the Inn, gazing at the Pearl from the windows. It was a topic of much discussion at the Inn and, by five, Tara was back in her room packing, sick to death of hearing about her father's infamy.

She shoved her washed, black and red dress into the large backpack, then jumped as a knocking started at her door.

'Tara, we know you're in there, please open the door!' came her cousin's voice.

Tara straightened up and rolled her eyes. She strode to the door and pulled it open. Liz, Will and Jack stood in the corridor.

Her eyes narrowed at Jack. 'Back for more? I'm feeling charitable.'

'Don't speak to your father like that!' snapped Liz.

Tara snorted and started laughing. She laughed sarcastically and slammed the door in their faces. The knocking started up again.

'Open the door!' repeated Liz.

'Please?' requested Will, 'She's about to break it down!'

Tara opened the door again. 'What!' she snapped.

'Why didn't you tell us?' asked Will.

'Would you believe me if I told you I forgot?' she questioned moving her head from side to side in annoyance.

Liz pushed past her, entering the room, Tara turned, anger boiling in her veins. Liz's eyes fell on the half-packed bag.

'Where are you going?' she asked, turning to Tara, who was leaning casually on the wall next to the door.

'Away,' she replied, ignoring both men.

'Away where?' said Liz.

'Dunno, China, Turkey, Korea, or maybe a place I haven't been.'

Jack raised an eyebrow, surprised to hear she been to any of those places.

'You're running?' said Will in realisation.

'Well, it runs in the family doesn't it?' Tara spat.

Jack frowned angrily but Will raised his hand in warning. Tara suddenly noticed her old bandages lying undisposed on her dresser. She made toward it casually, trying not to draw attention.

'But the wedding is tomorrow,' said Liz softly, 'you can't leave.'

Tara hid the bandages behind the washbasin and leaned on the dresser silently. Liz motioned for the men to leave, which Jack seemed only too happy to do.

As the door closed, Liz turned to Tara. 'Sparrow.'

Tara looked at her cousin. 'What?'

'Sparrow, you said "born a Swann". It's not Swann, it's Sparrow.'

Tara looked disgusted. 'Jacklyn…'

Liz laughed. 'You cannot leave, please, you are the only cousin I invited to the wedding. I am not asking you to play happy families, just bear witness.'

Tara fell onto the side of the bed. 'Fine, but do not expect me to be nice to him.'