Author's Note: I'm baaaack! I'm so sorry for neglecting this story lately (as well as many of my others :/) but I'm gonna try not to – summer holidays are busy, that's all I can say... :) Well, enjoy – I'm hoping to get at least 80 reviews by the end of this chapter! We're only a few away! xD

Chapter 14
--
Jack's Karmic Crew

Raising one, dark eyebrow until it was easily hidden beneath the brim of his cap, Alex took a slow turn to face Mr. Reece, his gaze sceptic. "This is a crew," he inquired in disbelief, his mouth dropping into the unmistakeable shape of an 'o' which he quickly snapped shut before Reece could comment.

Of course, poor, innocent Mr. Reece had no comment anyway. The crew of lanky, muscled young men were hardly fit enough to stand aboard a ship swaying on the high seas, let alone crew a ship dancing over roaring waves and... ugh, just the mere thought gave the elderly sailor shivers worming beneath his skin.

Yet he still replied; "well, you and your aristocratic ways have probably never seen a sea worthy crew of strapping young men," was all he could manage, gesturing to the misshaped line up of 'strapping young men' with unmistakeably green faces and pursed lips. Again, Mr. Reece trembled out of apprehension.

"'Aristocratic ways?'" Alex scoffed, taking this with offence. "I grew up with seven brothers in a minuscule house in New Orleans, so cramped my mother and father worked until their fingers bled so we could have a meal that night. Is that 'aristocratic' enough for you, Monsieur Reece?"

With a slight blush, Reece shrugged. "French ways, then."

Laurent mirrored the before expression of his nephew. He turned to the elderly sailor a serious emotion portrayed over his features as he spoke; "I think I'll just head off to find... uh... some new additions to this..." he glanced at the boys, conjuring up the right word for this line-up.

"Crew?" offered Mr. Reece, hopefully.

"Uh, oui," Laurent smiled back, cocking his head to one side out of innocence. Alex rolled his eyes at this, placing himself on a nearby barrel with ease and out of sheer boredom. His uncle bestowed him a glance, offering him a place to join him on his search, but the boy shook his head, quickly, taking a small dagger from his robes and flipping it with an accompanying sigh.

Alex hadn't realized much time had passed – when he looked up from his pricked fingers, he saw Mr. Reece and said crew had gone. He supposed they were aboard the ship, gathering supplies and whatnot. Yes, that would be it. With ease, he turned back to his dagger, throwing it firmly in the air and catching the self-carved handle swiftly. Satisfied, he tucked the weapon away, drumming his fingers on his knees, proudly.

"Alex! Alex!"

This voice – this young, familiar voice – captured his attention, turning Alex's gaze to a small whirlwind of a boy, ginger-topped head swerving in and out of the rowdy Tortugan crowds, heading straight for him.

"Alex!" he screeched again, hurling himself into the lad's strong arms, wrapping his tiny hands to meet behind his back, laughing insanely.

"Michel, mon frère, I told you to stay with Mrs Whitlock. And Helena. You shouldn't run away, comprendre?" He took his little brother's small hand in his own and began to pull him back into the streets and crowds much to Michel's great resistance.

"Non, non, non, non!" he insisted, repeatedly, tugging furiously against his brother, desperate to break free. "Please, let us come! We want to be pirates! We want to be pirates and save Daddy, don't we, Helena? We do Helena, don't we?"

"As much as I'd like to deny all this, yes, it's true," a sudden melodic voice grappled onto Alex's attention, pulling it hastily from young Michel and onto the figure of a young girl, just past her fourteenth birthday. Helena Morgan stepped up, letting her messy black hair cascade from beneath a tight fitted cap, her frame disguised in baggy clothing.

She shot Alex one nerved and uncertain smile. "We want to come," she stated, firmly.

The young Magliore felt his heart suddenly flip; the thought of Helena, his long-term best friend stepping aboard Captain Sparrow's ship, the crew fighting and threatening one another, the seas raging and knocking her down, the men drooling over her innocent, young self... He shivered, shaking his head, quickly. And, oh, not to mention his brother! Just turned seven and working aboard a pirate ship? How could he let that happen?

"It's too dangerous, Helena," he croaked, postponing shudders from shooting down his spine again.

"You're going," she replied. Michel nodded in agreement, clutching onto his brother's leg, tightly. "Why should it be any more dangerous for me? You've already taught me how to use a dagger – I could soon learn to fight with a blade! It would be perfect, Alex! We could stay together that way: you, me and Michel."

"And we wouldn't have to stay with Mrs Whitlock," piped up the youngest of the trio, pulling a disgusted face at the very mention of her name. Why, that woman had made him eat his vegetables, had sent him to bed before sundown – of course he would rather sail aboard a pirate ship with his big brother and close friend. He hadn't even assumed Alex would need convincing.

Helena lifted her head up, scanning the views around them in quick attempt to change the subject. "Where's Laurent?" she inquired. "Shouldn't he be with you?"

Alex smiled, light-heartedly. "Shouldn't you be with Mrs Whitlock?"

"Leave it, Alex. There's not a chance we're staying," she responded, strongly. Besides, she had figured she would be safer aboard a pirate ship than in Tortuga. This place was truly monstrous. "Whether you like it or not, Michel and I will be joining you."

"Yeah!" exclaimed Michel, throwing his tiny little fist into the air with a wide grin, belonging to both Alex and his father as well as himself. His soft eyes – the colour of a faded blue sky – sparkled with excitement as he detached himself from his brother's leg and thrust his hand into Helena's, her short five foot physique not much taller than his own, despite the fact he couldn't yet hold his knife and fork in the right hand.

Alex groaned – what would Captain Sparrow say about this? He hadn't paid the slightest bit of attention when he had tried to inquire help for his father. And with a young teenage girl and small child aboard, would he even have the civility to look out for them?

Helena, eyeing the expression resting on her friend's bowed head, gave out a soft sigh of her own. "I promise Alex," she began, placing one outstretched hand on his arm, comfortingly, "we'll be fine."

Once catching his eyes on her touch, she pulled away, her pale cheeks blushing. The boy's heart missed a few beats, his face falling once again – to his regret, she had turned away. All because he wouldn't embrace her closeness. Again. He sucked in a breath of musty air, before converting the subject of his mind back to the danger Helena and Michel were putting themselves in;

"Captain Sparrow won't like this..."

Waiting for her shrug or scoff in reply, Alex himself got quite a shock when Helena tensed, her dark hazel eyes widened to the size of shillings above her cheekbones.

"C-Captain Sparrow? Jack Sparrow?" she asked, her fingers twitching which the two present Magliore brothers had noticed was what generally happened when their friend was in a nerved or confused state. Gulping, Alex slowly nodded. If that man had laid but a finger on her before now, father's friend or not, he would have to pull back his dagger and aim.

Alright, self-admittedly, Alex would never dare do such a thing. But, in honest truth, that didn't make his care for Helena any weaker.

However, to his greatest relief, she smiled, her cheeks satisfied with a pink glow. "We are definitely coming."

Yes, my friends. You and I are not the only ones confused. In fact, take your level of confusion and multiply it by the highest number you have to mind. Now, that is perhaps just about how confused our young Magliore, Alexandre was at this girl's riddles...

--

"C'mon now, Belle, we all have bad days."

Voices. How can they be the slightest bit helpful when they're in your own head? Arabella had been asking herself this very question the whole night they had spent walking with Adria and her ridiculously bad smelling donkey-and-cart. It was now the morning. She was still asking herself this question.

"Will ye go away already?" she snapped at herself, arms folded temperamentally.

She paused. Then smiled. The voices were silent. But, then again, so were her surroundings. Sauntering but a few feet in front was Jack, Adria clung to his arm like a bleeding limpet, her donkey's rope curled elegantly through the gaps between her fingers. Occasionally she laughed. And that made Arabella shudder.

"Are we there yet?" Belle couldn't help but moan. As she half expected, Adria cackled with laughter. Arabella rolled her eyes, temperamentally. Surely even she couldn't deny they had been walking for far too long.

"You're such a child, Arabella! Isn't she so childish, Jack?" the gypsy sneered, rancorously. The only time she dared to look back at their companion, her eyes were sparked with venom. Charming.

"Not that there's anything wrong with that, luv," Jack countered, quickly. Belle smiled – he was disagreeing with her. Although, Adria also smiled – to her, he was practically picking up on his previous companion's foolishness. Or was he? This was too confusing. Arabella had decided – she really needed some rum.

Adria's sly giggle, however, brought her back to the painful reality of things. "Of course not. Think about the time we have children, Jackie. They'll be very childishly cute..." Suddenly, as if remembering something vitally important, she turned on her heals and, claiming she had something to find, scooted off into her cart. The wood was thick. Good. Arabella realized she could speak to Jack without being disturbed.

"So..." she grunted. "Will we be expecting any 'Jackiekins' juniors to be running around our ankles anytime soon?"

Jack smirked, panicked emotions hidden easily beneath his trademark smile – the very one that made Arabella's heart race in her chest and the very one that could hide all of his raging emotions – irritation, unhappiness, anxiousness... love. The very thought that the love he felt wasn't perhaps directed completely toward his intended bride made him shudder beneath his very skin. He chose to ignore it as he approached Arabella, casually.

Besides, her fuming caused a small smile to spread itself upon his lips.

"I don't find it funny," she scoffed at this expression. "I think it's ridiculous, Jack! How can ye marry that woman? Ye don't know anything about her!"

The captain merely smiled with a slapdash wave of his hand. "There comes a time where one must accept the bond of a marriage... savvy?" he said, though it was only since the words had trailed from his lips he realized how ridiculously stupid his statement had sounded.

Arabella exhaled, sharply. Was there any way to get through to him? Fingers crossed, she went for her second attempt:

"Why her, Jack?" she whispered. "Why Adria? When ye get married, it's for true love, not for karma!" She shook her head, loosely. "Please Jack... re-think all this before ye make the biggest mistake of yer life..." Ye don't know what she's capable of, she resisted the urge of adding. She watched her friend's expression, waiting – hoping – for any sign of a second thought. At times like this, Belle really regretted the fact she could not read minds.

"Alright, no need to worry yourself, Jackiekins!" came her flowery, fluttery voice – yuck, Arabella felt her gut churn with Adria's sudden appearance – as the beautiful gypsy linked her arm with Jack's once more, striding off with their steps synchronized with her donkey's. "I'm back now!"

"Well, this is the complete opposite of fair," chimed back Arabella's inner-self, as the angered piratess began to drag her feet after the 'happy couple'.

She sighed, booting a crooked little stone into the bushes to her left; "Tell me about it."

--

"Helena, will you please tell me what's going on?" a distressed moan released itself from the back of Alex's throat. He glanced up to his friend; Helena had positioned herself on a nearby barrel, her legs swinging back and forth to the melody she hummed. The sunlight had caught onto her face, highlighting the dark freckles he knew she hated but secretly, himself, adored.

Michel sang gibberish along to her tune, swaying back and forth as he sat at the barrel's foot, legs crossed tight.

"It'll be a nice surprise," she smiled, knotting her fingers together and twiddling her thumbs. As his uncle brushed past him, arms full with crates and boxes, Alex shot Laurent a look – a 'please-talk-them-out-of-this' look – but in a response, his uncle shrugged his shoulders and marched on up the gangplank to an organizing and partly stressed Mr. Reece.

"Donkey! Donkey!" exclaimed a suddenly intrigued Michel. Whilst the boy leapt to his feet and began to bounce on his toes, nearing the docked ship was none other than Jack and Arabella, alongside a heavy cart lugged by a tiresome donkey and sided by a beautifully elegant woman which immediately captivated Alexandre into a wide-eyed stare.

From his side, he heard Helena snort, which pulled away his attention. She wrinkled up her nose which indicated in him shooting her a reassuring smile before he could stop himself.

"Jack!" Mr. Reece exhaled in relief, racing to the captain's side with a thankful glance.

"Ah, Master Reece!" Jack chirped, happily. "Allow me to introduce my fiancée, Adria... um... Adria! She'll be joining us on our quest for good karma and whatnot," finished he with a casual swash of his hand.

Reece instantaneously arched his eyebrows, stammering the word 'fiancée' through condense breath.

"Is there a problem?" sneered the gypsy, propping herself securely against Jack's chest which caused the pirate to smirk insanely. From behind the two, Arabella scowled, scuffing jagged and sharp lines into the dirt with the point of her suede boots. Anxiously, Mr. Reece glanced down to his own shuffling feet at her outburst, his cheeks immediately turning a darker shade of red than his bandana.

"Charming," Arabella mentally sneered, before piping up, "there's no way ye can take that thing aboard our ship!" instantly directing a finger towards the scruffy grey mule and the cart he was dragging sorrowfully behind.

"Nonsense, luv," Jack replied before Adria had the chance to – almost undoubtedly – bite Arabella's head off, "we can make the space, aye, Mr. Reece?"

To Belle's most unhappiness and regret, her mother's old first mate agreed far too quickly for anyone's liking. Her heart ached and wrenched in her very chest as she watched this scene before her; why was it? Why was it her pulse would speed up and heart would throb to the extent of sheer pain every moment she watched Jack with that... woman. She yearned for every moment she could stand with Jack alone, just so she could edge a little closer to him. She hadn't felt this way since... since Billy. Since her first love.

Love.

Immediately, the piratess felt sick to her very stomach, condensation beginning to prickle on her forehead. Love, love, love, love, love... Did she... Had Arabella Smith fallen for the charming and dashing pirate Captain Jack Sparrow?

"You look dreadfully familiar..." Jack started as Belle silently battled with her emotions just mere metres behind him, staring straight into Helena's warm grey eyes, "do I owe you money?"

Unsurely, the girl shook her head. "I-I'm Helena Morgan," she stumbled eventually, quite unsure of what she could say to the infamous pirate captain before her, "I... you knew my mother... And... she... um... was quite fond of you... You... well, sorry if I seem too bold, Captain Sparrow, but you pursued her, slept with her and broke her heart."

Jack raised an eyebrow, ignoring his new fiancé's heated glare now fixed on him. "Well... that's interesting..." his response came, indicating a quick roll of the eyes from Alex.

"Would it be... okay if my friend, Michel and I come... with you?" whispered Helena, making it unmistakeably obvious the appearance of the captain had knocked her confidence down a notch or so. Alex held onto his breath, closing his eyes into a squint. There was only one thing he was desperate to hear: no.

"'Course, luv!" cried Jack with great eagerness, throwing out his arms energetically. "And say... would one bonnie lass take this as said repayment for the apparent sadness caused to one's mother due to another one's actions... savvy?" he rambled, watching Helena's expression darken into confusion with a twitch.

"Um... y-es?" she answered uncertainly.

Captain Sparrow smiled. "Good lass."

"WE'RE GONNA BE PIRATES!" Michel abruptly yelped, leaping as high into the air as his little legs could propel him. Helena laughed as he grappled onto her hand and dragged her up the gangplank and began scanning the whole of the ship with a thrilled smile.

"Uh, Captain Sparrow about my--"Alex decided to pipe up, inquiring help for his father at least one last time, but was cut off by Adria's flirtatious laughter. He sighed, sadly whilst watching the gypsy smother herself all over the captain. Obviously, Jack was quick to postpone the conversation leaving a poor Mr. Reece with the job of lugging Adria's donkey and cart aboard as he insisted on showing his wife-to-be every nook and cranny of his ship.

The boy groaned; was there ever a good time? Falling back into step with a depressed and saddened Arabella, Alex plucked up the courage to ask her, "bad day?"

She sighed, "ye have no idea."

Author's Note: Aw... poor Belle. Poor Alex... I kinda rushed this, so the writing isn't really that good, but I guess I just kinda wanted to post! I assure you, the next chapter will be better... *evil smirk* Oh, and I just realized; Alex and Helena could be like the new Carolina and Diego! That'd be cool!

Alright, I should be updating... sometime soon? But I wouldn't get your hopes up – my guitar, Jasper, and I are pretty darn busy at the moment... besides, I just won a bass guitar for £40 off eBay! :D AND it's purple!

But hopefully, I'll find the time to look after my little stories. No, scratch that: I DEFINATELY will! Pressure actually helps, so, please don't hesitate to yell and nag at me in your reviews! ;) Hope you all enjoyed! xD

Thanks again to my manager, nineteennintytwo – yes, I probably will be thanking you with every chance I have... mwhaha! :D Look out for an update in My Father, The Pirate!