My first Fanfic, so please be gentle. DISCLAIMER: I own nothing! Disney owns all. I only make up some names of some ships and people who were not in (or mentioned in) the movie. This is a Pirate's of the Caribbean Fanfic (if you couldn't tell already.) . I loved the movie (and I adore Jonny Depp and Jack Sparrow's character) and so I decided to do a group of stories about the adventures (or misadventures) of Captain Jack Sparrow. In the ten years between when he lost the Black Pearl to when the movie first introduces him. Well r&r and tell me what you think. ^_^

This story is kinda a love story (because hey Jack needs somebody!) But its will also be an adventure story.

(Set one year after he lost the Pearl to Barbossa.)

The man walking off the docks was tall and well defined, with grimy clothes,

baggy blue pants, a loose white shirt, a worn at-one-time-green jacket with a lot of holes,

white sash, large leather belt with a gun (with one bullet), a sword and a very suspicious

compass and calf high brown leather boots. His dark brown dredd locked hair was

wrapped in a red sash and smashed under a very well used leather hat. As he walked

loosely up the weather beaten stone stairs the sounds of gunfire and drunken squalls

floated down to him from the city just above him on the rocks. The man turned his

heavily coal lined golden brown eyes up to the lights and smiled wickedly to himself.

"Ah Tortuga." He thought, continuing up into the Pirate infested city. But he

wasn't the least bit afraid. After all, he was a pirate himself and could hold his own in this

rough sea port. Hell, he might as well have written the book on piracy. (That was, if he

could write.) The truth was that he loved this chaotic port with its load taverns, brawls

and shady people. It was his kind of town. As he made his way along the streets he made

eye contact with a woman with light brown hair dressed in green. He smiled knowingly at

her and watched her walk resolutely over to him, "Ah Jade!" Jack started when he was

suddenly silenced with a slap to his face. Jade humfed at him and stamped away

obviously pissed. "Now what in hell fire was that for?" Jack thought to himself rubbing

the red spot. That wasn't the homecoming Jack was really hoping for and after careful

consideration he mused to himself, "This calls for a drink!"

The beads, dice and bells woven into his hair jingled lightly as he moved through

the crowded streets. After side stepping a particularly drunk man, flopping around on the

ground, he found himself in front of a rough worn tavern with a rickety door, bullet

riddled windows and a faded sign that read: THE FAITHFUL BRIDE. Captain Jack

Sparrow grinned, his few golden and silver teeth shining in the moonlight, at the sign as

if it was a joke that only he got. He sauntered through the door and was immediately

surrounded by the sounds of fights and drunken laughter, and the smells of pipe smoke

and grogg. He took a deep breath and found a table in a dark corner of this notorious

tavern.

Apparently their was fancy to do going on this hot summer night in the tavern

because someone, probably the owner, had constructed a small wooden stage at the far

end of the tavern and the place was stuffed full of men. That wasn't what made it

interesting however. It was the fact that most of them weren't fighting each other. Jack

beckoned a rather bulky barmaid over to his table and while she was putting a pint down

in front of him he turned and asked, "Can you tell me lass, what is happening on this very

fine evening?" his voice drawled out of him like the lazy swell of the sea.

The barmaid laughed at his words and then replied good naturedly, "Well squire,

this 'ere is the first annual women's auction to be 'eld at t'e tavern."

"Women's auction you say." Jack flashed a smile to keep her talking.

"Yes, sir. Anywhere's from strumpets to ladies 'ave been brought 'ere to be bet

on by the gents on Tortuga. The women get t'e money to do with as t'ey like and t'e men

get t'e women fur as long as t'eir contract are fur."

"Sounds profitable." Mumbled Jack thoughtfully.

"Will ya be bettin' on some sir?" asked the barmaid interestedly.

"Only if the woman is worth the gold." He answered and the woman smiled. He

tossed a shilling at the barmaid and she wandered away. But she hadn't noticed him

picking her pocket clean. Slipping her coins into his pocket Jack grabbed his drink and

leaning back on his chair placed his booted feet on the table. After all he might not bid

but that didn't keep him from lookin' now did it?

It had been about an hour and the auction as it were was coming to an end. Jack

had been getting one hell of a show as far as he was concerned. Some of these women

had obviously not chosen to be up there on that stage. He had watched one young girl just

about eighteen kick her new owner squarely in the family jewels and run off out of the

tavern. Everyone had roared with laughter at that. But Jack had noticed that after that

display the men were more careful with how they claimed their new "belongings". Jack

didn't much care for the thought that women were belongings. They were a damned

nuisance most of the time and ended up owning you likely as not. A woman was there to

make a man less lonely or to have brats. Jack although quite the ladies man never had

good luck in the long run with a petticoat. Most of his relationships had ended with a slap

and his face stinging for a while. The more he thought about it the more he came to

believe that having a woman around at all times was a good way to make your life short

and miserable. Jack was now well in his cups and was singing under his breath, "Yo Ho.

Yo Ho. A pirate's life for me."

When the tavern owner came up on stage and started to speak, "Well me mates

we only 'ave one fair lady left for yer viewin' pleasure." The men in the crowd made a

few lewd comments and the tavern owner smiled dismissively. "Feast yer eyes on this

shining pearl." The tavern owners use of words brought Jacks thoughts back from the

grogg and he looked up as two men ushered the girl on stage. He caught a glimpse of a

brilliant red struggling against the men before his view was suddenly obstructed by a very

large man who stood up unexpectedly.

"Hey mate! Down in front!" Jack yelled, with not just a little slur to his words.

The large man turned his scarred face to Jack and yelled something rather unflattering to

him.

Jack squinted his dark eyes and smiled at the man drawing his pistol, "Say it again

mate. I dare ya." The big man grumbled for a minute but eventually sat down.

Jack turned his attention back to the stage and to the vision of loveliness standing

on it. The woman, if you could call her a woman, she looked more like a girl in

the deep blue dress she wore, was a small, almost dainty looking creature with

white skin and deep blue eyes a shade darker than the dress. "Like the color of a night

sea." Jack thought to himself. But her most striking feature was her hair. It was red but

not the dull orangish color most red heads have it was a blazing, rich red violate like the

color of the sky the morning before a storm. He tried to get his brain a little more focused

on her, chasing away some of the alcohol induced fog and saw in her those sea blue eyes

a toughness that would put many a pirate to shame. In that moment he knew that he had

to have this mermaid. He didn't really know weather it was all the grogg talking or

something deeper. He just knew he had to have her. And he had only wanted two things

like her and those were his ship, The Black Pearl and the wish to put his one bullet

through the heart of the man who stole it.