Hello, and welcome! This is a story that I have been wanting to work on for... a very long time.

Anyway, as always, I do not own anything related to Pirates of the Caribbean, the only thing that I created is Caroline and her immediate family. This is also not beta read so while I try to catch mistakes, I am only human.

Read and enjoy! - Katie

Chapter 1

The streets of Port Royal were buzzing with liveliness as the citizens mingled and gossiped, sharing anything and everything that pertained to the ceremony. It was not every day that a new commodore would be appointed and the excitement over such an event was tangible. There was one figure however that ignored all going on around her. Caroline Palmer, though she had been raised under a respectable name and in a respectable household, held no interest in such a matter. Due to the fact of her father being a part of the Royal Navy, it was expected of her to show up at any events that were open to them and their families, despite the fact that her father wasn't even in the area at the moment. No doubt he would find out if she did not make an appearance though, and making her father angry was on the bottom of her list.

It was clear that she only had an hour before she needed to be at Fort Charles, but for now her destination was the port. Watching the people coming at going was always a favorite passed time of hers. The variety of people always kept things interesting. There were several traders she had met over the years that always shared their recent stories with her if she happened to be in the area. Their exciting tales of fighting against the weather at sea or possible run-ins with pirates were enough to keep her on her toes. It was the closest she could get to having her own adventure at sea.

Caroline gathered her pale blue gown into her hands as she made her way towards the docks. No doubt she was quite the sight, walking by herself in such a fine dress, but she hardly cared. No one paid much mind to her strange behaviors in this area anymore. Whether she was dressed in casual attire or formalwear, she knew she would always be greeted happily by the harbormaster.

"Hello, sir!" she called over with a grin she spied the man she was looking for near his post, speaking with a young boy who seemed to be helping him that day. "I hope your morning has been well."

"Miss Palmer, it has been fine. I must say, I'm surprised to see you here. Shouldn't you be heading towards the fort?"

Caroline laughed as she shook her head, causing her dark tresses to briefly fall into her eyes. "I'm in no rush to get there. You know I'd rather be here than at some dull ceremony. Besides, what would be my entertainment for the day if I didn't get some good stories from around here?"

The quartermaster shook his head before looked back at her. "You'd have better luck there. I've heard nothing much recently. Things seem to be quiet at the moment…" He trailed off as a sight out at sea caught his eye. "Then again…"

Caroline gave him a curious look before drawing her eyes to where his were looking and saw quite a sight. A man stood atop the mast of a boat, or what was left of one. "What in the world?" She questioned as she took a few steps towards where most of the boats were docked.

"It seems I have business to take care of." He turned back to Caroline and tipped his hat. "Perhaps there will be a story for next time, Miss Palmer, but you really should get going."

"I suppose you're right, though you really should stop acting like my father. One is certainly enough." She gave him another friendly smile as he turned away from her and waited until he was out of earshot. "I certainly have time to stay a few more minutes however. Why just hear about a story when I can watch it happening?"

She took a few casual steps back towards land before turning around to find a spot to watch the scene unfold. It didn't seem like she would get much of a story though. She couldn't hear a word that was being said. She did find it amusing that this poor man still had to pay for a boat that wasn't even above the water anymore.

Giving up on finding out anything interesting, Caroline was about to leave when she spotted the man walking down the dock, along with grabbing the bag of coins the harbormaster used. She couldn't believe this man. She wasn't naïve, she knew very well that people could be thieves, but to steal so openly and effortlessly in the middle of the day?

Caroline took a step forward as she clenched her fists, though she didn't believe there was much she could do about the matter. A quick glance around told her that there weren't many people around that would deal with a situation like this either. With a decision in mind, she quickly turned around and stepped off the dock. Her steps were swift but she stiffened and paused as another pair of footsteps fell in place beside her.

"Mornin,' Love."

Caroline nearly jumped out of her skin as she turned to see the man she had just been a witness to, standing just two feet away from her with a smile on his face. Beyond the dreadlocks, beard, dirt and every other thing that seemed to be attached to his person, she spotted a few gold teeth as well in his grin. "Um, hello, sir," she said politely before turning and kept on walking only to be stopped by him jumping in front of her and clapping his hands together.

"No need to be shy, names Smith, or Smithy. Seems to me that a lovely lady such as yourself," he paused as he traced his eyes over her, "most certainly has somewhere to be. Why don't I escort you while we come to an agreement, hm?"

Caroline panicked slightly as she looked around but saw no one that would be of much help. "That is kind, Mr. Smith, but I am fine on my own. You're right though, I do need to be going." She tried to step around him, dismissing the conversation.

The man took a step back as he sensed her discomfort and tried to lighten the mood. "No need to be so skittish, you'd love my company if you got to know me," he said easily with a grin and wink, "but how about this? You go on your way, I go on my way, and we both pretend neither of us ever saw each other, savvy?"

With a quick nod of her head, Caroline agreed as she tried to calm herself down, getting a grasp on the current situation. "You have yourself an agreement. I've already forgotten that I saw you."

With a grin, he grabbed her hand before she left and placed a kiss on her hand. "Lovely meeting you, Love."

Caroline had every intention of forgetting the past hour of her day as she hurried into Fort Charles. Just as the fort appeared in front of her, she smoothed out her skirt, making sure to brush off any dirt that may have collected before she entered. With one goal in mind, she scanned the crowd before spotting Elizabeth Swann, one of the few people she spoke to. Though she had a couple years over Elizabeth, they had gotten along well for years now.

"Good morning, Elizabeth. Looking forward to the ceremony?"

Elizabeth glanced at her with a grimace before smiling briefly. "Morning Lena," she said breathlessly before pausing. "I'm looking forward to this being over," she said simply as she fanned herself.

Caroline looked at her worriedly as she took in her appearance. "Are you alright?"

"For now. The latest fashion is not breathing." Elizabeth finished as she tried to take in a breath while pressing against the top of her gown.

As she pieced together the information, Caroline's eyes widened as she looked at her friend. "Are you wearing a corset?" she whispered as she leaned in so they wouldn't be overheard.

Elizabeth nodded in confirmation.

"Those things are terrible." Caroline had been lucky enough to never have to wear one, but she had heard about them from other women gossiping about the latest fashions at previous events she had been present for. It was one time she considered herself eternally lucky that her father rarely gave her much thought, otherwise he would make sure she was truly blending into the society he believed them to be a part of. "Hopefully this won't be long then. It should be starting soon."

They let the conversation drop after that as the men from the Navy prepared for Norrington's promotion. Throughout the presentation, Caroline kept an eye on Elizabeth, worrying for her friend. Of all the days to have to suffer through a ceremony, to top it off with a corset and the warm sun that was beating down on them, it seemed Elizabeth had not much luck.

With the commencement of the ceremony, the two ladies found a momentary break as Caroline took a brief stroll with Elizabeth, arms locked together, wishing to move away some from the crowd. With the Governor preoccupied with social calls, Caroline took it upon herself to watch her friend.

"At least we will be done soon," Caroline consoled her friend as she weakly fanned herself, ignoring everything else around her. "I suppose," Elizabeth said half-heartedly, only half listening as she tried to catch her breath.

Caroline glanced around briefly, pondering what options they had. "Perhaps we could leave early. I could go speak with-," she was cut off however as they were joined suddenly by the new Commodore.

"Miss Palmer, Miss Swann," he greeted each cordially before focusing his attention on Elizabeth. "May I have a moment?" Norringon extended his arm and Elizabeth gives a quick glance towards Caroline before accepting his invitation and moving away.

Suddenly left on her own, Caroline had nothing else to do but either wait for Elizabeth or escape, lest she have to mingle with the other guests who may attempt to speak with her. Taking a chance, she found a spot to the side and waited, glancing occasionally towards the pair. Elizabeth had shared with her on occasion that she had some suspicions about Norrington's attentions, more or less confirmed by her father's behavior. Caroline couldn't help but wonder how that conversation would turn out if he did propose to Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth!" a cry from Norrington drew her attention back to the pair, whipping her head in their direction. Taking into the sight of the Commodore leaning over the edge of the parapet, Caroline began to panic as she realized Elizabeth was no longer in sight.

Thanks for sticking around! Let me know what you think and I should have chapter 2 out soon. It is already complete and I am working on the next.