A/N: As you might have noticed, my grammar was REALLY bad when I wrote this and the Benefits of Mr. Sparrow. So, I have tried my best to correct any mis-takes and repost this story with the title only as 'The Legend of Emerald Island'. I'm also re-writing The Benefits, as a OC character and not a 'You'. Don't worry, The You story will still be here, just under a different title. It will also be grammatically corrected!

The Legend of Emerald Island

Eleven years ago…

Carmen frowned solemnly as she watched her grandmother unzip the cover of her suitcase, and began to pile neatly folded clothes into the spacious area. Carmen's large innocent eyes watched curiously as the elderly woman's aged hands worked quickly.

"Why are you leaving?" Carmen's voice was soft. Her grandmother's sparkling green eyes turned to her, as she continued to place clothing and other necessities within her suitcase.

"I have to go tend to some problems in the Caribbean, sweetness", she replied in a quick voice while not moving her eyes to her grand daughter.

"Will you come back?" Carmen's eyes were wide with innocent curiosity.

A saddened smile washed over the elderly ladies face.

-

"What in the world do you mean the elevator's stuck?"

"Well, miss there's nothing that serious but one of the cables has just rusted and the experts are on their way", the female voice replied. She sunk back against the wall, her face mingled with annoyance, distress, and mostly annoyance.

"My name is Carmen, not miss", her accent was starting to drip with annoyance but the lady just ignored her. Carmen wiped the small droplets of sweat from her brow.

"You should be out in 2 hours at the latest".

She held in the urge to kick at the door, but she knew that a small camera in the corner was directed at her. "Well, is there anyway I can call my parents?" Carmen asked, her eyes firmly directed at the camera.

Suddenly, the small compartment started to feel hot and too small for her liking. "Miss-", the lady replied but reception dropped and the phone disconnected.

"Bloody hell!"

Carmen dropped the phone and slouched down to the ground. Out of all possible days she could get stuck in an elevator, it had to be the day she had a job interview. Even at the tender age of twenty-one, she still didn't like elevators, but it was either fourteen flights of stairs or the cramped elevator.

Bad bloody choice, she ran her fingers through her chocolate brown hair.

"Why am I starting to feel claustrophobic?" Carmen murmured to herself as she started to feel dizzy.

She pulled out a tissue from her bag and wiped her forehead. She had forgotten all about the camera, and lazily threw the tissue across the small compartment.. She started to play with the small pendent she was given from her grandmother. A very different grandma that had disappeared on a sea voyage. Everyone had said her grandmother had the blood of a gypsy and Carmen had inherited it. She smiled at the skull and snake pendent and started to hum a song in her own tongue. She lived in Australia but she was of Spanish heritage.

Her mother had come from Alora, a small province with mild heat. Her father was Australian; typical blonde hair, white skin and blue eyes. She had not inherited any of these but his humour. She had the nice tanned skin, the large exotic eyes and the dark chocolate hair that swished in luscious straight strands around her waist.

Minutes passed until it was nearly an hour. Suddenly, the lights started to flicker and a sound told her the elevator was working again. Finally, she though to herself. She could hear someone out side; two people working on the roof of the elevator.

"Ok, I think the cable is - ", one of the men informed, but Carmen didn't catch the rest of the sentence. The elevator had given a loud and distressing creak. When Carmen heard the loud snap of something giving way, she knew that the cable holding the elevator had just broke.

Before the curse words could come from her open mouth, she yelped as she felt everything being pushed up as the elevator started to fall. Everything seemed to become hazy as she was pulled up into the air and hit the top of the elevator. Then the elevator jerked and stopped. She fell to the floor in a heap.

The lights flickered, then finally died out. "This is just wonderful", she whispered as nausea took over and she started to fall into her own darkness as the last cable broke.

-

"And then they made me chief of their tribe." Infamous Captain Jack Sparrow finished his story with a vigorous shake of his hand, then dropped his empty rum bottle to the rocky shore below him. The pale, worn yet provocative Strumpets by his sides cheered and laughed at the story Jack had just told.

A red haired woman with a tight fitting dress ran her hand overs his shoulders, "Oh, you brave, brave man, Jack!"

"Tha's Capt'n Jack", he answered absentmindedly. The women leered at him, everyone of them making sure that they were enable to touch some part of his body. Jack wrapped his fingers around the neck of another rum bottle and dizzyingly tried to pry the cork out. Much to his dismay, he was too disgruntled and managed to drop the bottle down to the rocky shore.

"Well miladies, 'ole Capt'n Jack should get movin' or 'is crew goin'a wonder where 'is been!" He smiled sheepishly at the women. He found no reason to find comfort with the offering of the night because, to be honest, Jack had been with Scarlet, Giselle and Portia.

And most of Tortuga's Sale.

The women gave over-exaggerated whimpers of protest as he swaggered away, his legs carrying him down the shore.

"We're rascals, and scoundrels, and villains, and knaves. Drink up me 'earties yo ho! We're devils and black sheep and really bad eggs. Drink up me 'earties yo ho!", he sang under his breath as he walked across the sand. He turned back to see the girls slowly making there way back to The Silken thigh. He turned around and kept walking with a grin. He neared the port and stood, slightly slouched, gazing at his ship.

"To rum," he bellowed proudly, "and to the Black-", he added but was cut short as he saw something washed up on the shore. Jack slowly turned around and watched as the figure of a person slowly pulled it self onto all fours and crawl up the shore. "Oh, tha's intrestin'", he staggered over as he saw the figure collapse and roll over to its side.

Carmen coughed up something salty. She opened her eyes to see she was drenched and covered in sand. Slowly her vision came in order and she rolled onto her side. She was on a beach and from what she could tell, it was either sunrise or sunset. How did I get here?, she racked her brain for some source of information but all she could remember was the elevator and then darkness. Carmen rolled onto her back and nearly screamed in fright at the sudden face above her.

"'Ello there! Tis a little bit early for a swim?" The dark features of a roguish looking man beamed at her. She took in the image quite quickly, finding that with such shock and unsuspecting events, she had no choice but to be alert. As he gazing curiously at her, he noted he had alluring dark eyes and a well structured face. His face was lined with small traces of bristles, ending with a groomed moustache and a double-braided goatee. She stared at his kohl lined eyes. Carmen felt that she was too queasy, confused and oddly mesmerized to bother trying to fight this man if he tried anything.

"Yer don' look like yer from 'round 'ere luv," the man stated after studying her for a moment, "I think yer better get up. Tis high tide." He out-stretched his arm to the young lady. She stared at him for a moment, trying to register his clothing choice.

"We can stand 'ere all day letting yer look me over, luv," Jack gave a wry grin. Carmen merely stared at him. "but, do yer got a name?", Jack asked.

Carmen continued to stare uncertainly at the man before her. He seemed slightly unstable, struggling to stand still without swaggering about on the spot.

"Why would I give you my name, stranger?" Carmen muttered while trying to wring her clothes of water. She had expected to grab onto plain black pants, but was immensely shocked to find that her casual form was now draped with the heavy material of an exotically crafted dress. Hugging her slim body was the soft material of silk and mesh etched with silver swirls and patterns.

There was a huge split up the side of the dress, revealing her left leg up to her mid thigh. Carmen had no problem with such flesh exposure, but even though it was still dark, she looked up to see the man staring at her caramel toned upper leg. "I'll answer your questions as soon as you answer mine", Carmen demanded in a loud tone, drawing the man's attention back to her face. The man smiled, took off his tricorn hat and bowed, agreeing.

"Who are you and where am I?", she asked. The man tilted his head to the right then pointed. Carmen turned to see buildings, smoke, dim lights and she could faintly smell alcohol.

"Tortuga shore and I'm Cap'n Jack Sparrow!" He threw his hands wildly about him, making his statement loud and clear.

"How did I get here?", she repeated the second part of her question. He squinted his eyes as the bright rays of the sun started simmer over the horizon.

"I wouldn't 'ave a bloody idea, luv. I just saw yer crawl out of the water." He replied blandly.

She stared wondrously at the man who claimed to be 'Captain Jack Sparrow.' Carmen had never seen a Captain dressed as he were. He wore a white tunic shirt that had been carelessly buttoned up a few times, leaving his bronzed sea chest visible. His legs were clad with plain grey linen pants, held up with a red and white sashay as a belt. Upon his head was a worn red bandana, holding back his unusually suited disgruntled hair. Carmen tilted her head to the side, noticing the hilt of a sword and pistol on his hip.

"I'm assuming you're a pirate, Captain", she said with a knowing smile.

Jack quirked a curious brow at her, his face lined with amusement, "I do believe there are rumour's 'bout me journeys an' social stature," he staggered slightly, but quickly regained his stature, "an' now tha' I answered yer questions, may it be polite fer yer to answer mine."

Carmen nodded, but stood silently for a moment. A shiver ran up her spine as a small gust of wind passed them, making the folds of her dress billow around her legs. Carmen tried to keep the layers down after noting the Captain's wandering eyes. Finding not to be successful, she began to introduce herself, "My name is Carmen and that's all I can tell you," she covered her arms over her chest, "And I don't know how I got here or how I can get back home, but I'm hoping someone can help me."

"Oh, tha's somethin' then", he murmured to himself. Jack studied the petite girl, who so very much didn't care about her exposure, before turning his head to see some of his crew members boarding his ship. "Well, it was nice meetin' yer lass", he gave a noticeable body scan over her features, and Carmen frowned as Jack turned away.

"Wait!" Carmen yelled as she began to trail behind him.

Jack turned around and raised an eye-brow at the approaching girl.

"Please, I know your probably off to raid some town or something, but I need some help," she breathed heavily, "I need a way out of this place", she stared pleadingly at him. Such a small girl, only five foot two, was gradually convincing the strapping five foot ten pirate.

"Well, tis not a good idea, luv. I say get your self a job at the whore house or-".

The next thing he knew, Carmen's fist collided with his jaw. And who would ever think such a small creature could have so much power.

Jack slowly turned his head back to her. Carmen's soft brown eyes where now blazing with anger, "That was by far, the worst move you've made all morning, Captain Sparrow," Carmen said in an angered tone while rubbing her knuckles, "be grateful I didn't pummel you for staring continuously at my body before."

Jack slowly turned to face her again, but his upper half leaning back away from her striking again.

"I may 'ave deserved that", he said in a small voice while rubbing at his nose.

"By far, you deserved it." Carmen snapped back, but felt that she had perhaps attacked without much thought.

"I've been shot twice, stabbed, hanged an' marooned twice and slapped but never punched by a lady", Jack said after a moment of rubbing his already tender face.

Carmen was still fuming but the humour in his voice calmed her down a notch. Sighing, she reached out and frowned when Jack flinched, thinking she was going to hit him again. "Come here, I just want to take a look", her cool fingers brought his head down slightly so she could inspect the damage. She ran her fingers over the already bruising flesh and Jack dramatically winced in pain. Seeing that it would heal in time, Carmen stepped back, "I'm sorry for punching you, but I don't take nicely to rude comments unless they were deserved."

Jack smiled politely, and Carmen noticed the glisten of several gold teeth, "Yer sound like a strong girl, but with a crew like mine," he sighed and Carmen looked outwards to the large, beautiful ship down by the pier's that Jack stared so fondly at, "yer wouldn't last long, darlin'. Savvy? Well, I best be off now. Cheers!"

Carmen stood there staring at him until he ducked out of site.

"Men", she murmured as she made her way to the pier