Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean nor the characters but
some of the characters in this story are from my own imagination. Any
similarities with real people are highly coincidental.
Jack Sparrow stumbled out from the pub. He knew all too well it was a bad idea to go setting sail when you were not entirely sober but he did not care. He even now wondered why he had gone drinking when he knew they were to sail off very shortly.
"Ahh, yes" he grumbled stumbling forward a few steps, how could he possibly forget.
He had been trying to drown his sorrows with rum; it seemed to work while he was marooned on that cursed spit of land years ago. He had been reminiscing over Anamaria's mysterious disappearance. It had all happened not so long ago, when Fleur had only been with them both a few months. He and Anamaria had been arguing over his wanting to continue to roam the seas and Anamaria's intent on settling down.
"No chance in hell will I bring my daughter up a pirate!" Anamaria snarled to Jack her deep brown eyes almost shooting flames.
"If you wish love, she will not be one then. Though her parents always will be and tis hard not to be what you grow up and are destined to be," Jack told her while leaning against the wheel.
Anamaria stamped her foot, "Jack Sparrow" she scolded "I was a respectable woman until you showed up and stole my boat"
"Borrowed Anamaria, borrowed" Jack corrected using his infamous hand gestures to emphasise his argument "how many times must I tell you that"
"And how many times must I remind you that you did not give me the ship you so gallantly promised me in place of my old one?" Anamaria growled back.
Jack pulled slightly back from her, "Anamaria, love. I will not retire from my scallywaggin days for yours truly. Pirate tis in my blood"
Anamaria let her palm fly and slapped him.
"Ok, I deserved that" Jack agreed.
Anamaria let out a sigh of frustration and marched off, Jack calling her name and following closely behind her. She headed for the stern and rested her crossed arms on the railing. Her eyes took in the majesty of the ocean but her mood was to foul to care.
"Anamaria, please" Jack pleaded.
Anamaria turned to him, "tell me Jack of which of the following alternatives do you prefer. A life consisting of a child and her parents both being present or a lifetime of hard sailing for a father who tries to raise a daughter without her mother?"
Jack raised an eyebrow, "Anamaria...what are you saying?"
"I am presenting you, Jack Sparrow a proposition that I believe you will find quite interesting"
"Anamaria -" Jack begun but stopped when Anamaria climbed onto the top of the railing, "lets not do anything stupid now" he said carefully.
"Decide Jack!" she commanded.
Jack looked over his shoulder at his beloved Pearl. Her groaning decks and her wind whipping sails. He would give up anything for his daughter, even a life of piracy. He turned back to Anamaria but found she was not there.
"Anamaria?" he asked looking around, he then rushed to the railing and when he saw her hat floating on the Black Pearls wake he screamed in agony, "Anamaria! Somebody drop anchor!" he ordered before plunging into the ocean after her.
Jack rubbed his forehead and came back to reality, as he viewed the Pearl in all her majesty moored in the moonlight he felt his stomach contract. He had told Fleur about her mothers death when she was 15. He had never found Anamaria's body so he could only hold onto her hat and his memories of the time they had shared together. He would never forgive himself for that day, he couldn't. Jack staggered a few steps back then collapsed onto the sidewalk. Fleur had disappeared right after he informed her that they were not going to stop at Port Royal which gave Jack the impression that she had jumped off stern and swam to shore. A little voice inside his head laughed, 'what if she did not make it'. Jack got up determinedly, his daughter did make it and in a few days he would be able to prove so. He headed for his ship and sauntered up the plank to gain entry.
* * *
"My father and I had a disagreement and I simply dived off the stern and swam to shore," Fleur said to James as they swung their legs over the stone bridge.
"What if you had not of made it to shore. You were in bad shape as it was when I found you" James asked.
Fleur shrugged, "but my friend, I did make it" she said to him.
When James did not reply she continued, "twas lucky you were on the beach though. I might not have been awoken in time had you not of been there"
"I was trying to hide from my parents. They seem so intent in getting me to marry a duchess or - or somebody rich" he grumbled, "I have no idea into their motifs"
Fleur looked up at him, "is that why you told them I was a governor's daughter?"
James shrugged, "why do I do anything?"
Fleur looked away from the cryptic question and gazed at the water running below them in hopes it could supply her an answer.
"You need not reply, "James assured her, "I need not an answer right at this time for I am not entirely sure that I could control it"
* * *
Elizabeth stared blankly at her reflection and let the maid run the brush down her long ponytail. She rehearsed all the theories she had extracted from her few days of watching Esmeralda Vazquez. She certainly did not like to entertain the idea that William had the nerve to propose the other night.
"Ma'am your son is here to speak with you," a butler said from the doorway.
"Good, good. Show him in then" she shooed away the maid and stood up. She watched her son enter her room and waited momentarily before moving towards the balcony.
James came to a stand still, his eyes taking in his mother and the majesty that seemed to radiate from her.
"Sit down please James William Turner" Elizabeth commanded rather than requested while motioning to a table and chairs on her balcony.
The sun was balancing on the horizon and streaked the clouds and ocean with rays of golden red colour. As the two sat a maid came and lit the candles in the room casting pale light onto them both.
"It's a wonderful night is it not?" Elizabeth said taking in a deep draught of fresh Caribbean air.
"That it is mother," James said carefully.
"I certainly believe a night like this is truly romantic" Elizabeth told him, "if you please, James" she asked signalling that he fold his napkin like she had taught him to do so, "I was hoping your father would talk to you about this but it seems to be apparent he has not so I have taken it into my own hands"
James tried not to let his boredom show as his mother prattled on about rules of engagement.
"Are you even listening to me James?" Elizabeth asked sharply.
"Hmmm?" James mumbled tearing his attention from the last rays of the sun poking from behind the horizon.
"Honestly James. If you'd please listen! I wish not to see my only son falling for some - some fraud who -"
"She is not a fraud!" James shouted springing up, "I will not just remain speechless while you weave a web of lies about Esmeralda"
Elizabeth rose slowly, "now I understand James that - "
"No! No you do not understand!" James growled cutting her off and leaving the room.
Elizabeth sighed and reclaimed her sitting position. No sooner had she sat down had the tea she intended to share with James arrived and shortly after the tea, came her father.
"James told you then" Elizabeth said as her father sat down.
"Dearest daughter," Governor Swann chuckled, "you think it wise undermining your son's feelings?"
Elizabeth avoided his eye and sipped daintily at her tea, "is this tea the one that arrived on the shipment yesterday? It tastes robustly fresh"
"Elizabeth, Elizabeth," her father chortled, "don't change the subject. Might you please listen to what I have to say?"
Elizabeth met his gaze, "I will listen," she told him frostily.
"Now surely you have not forgotten of the proposal Admiral Norrington conducted these 18 years ago?"
"No, I have not" Elizabeth replied wondering where her father could be leading the conversation.
"Then surely you remember that I was not at all charmed with the idea of you marrying dear William? Surely give your own son a margin in which he has room to disappoint. If he truly loves Miss Vazquez should not you leave him be?"
Elizabeth's eyes widened, "how could I have been oh so naïve?" she asked, "I was entirely ignoring the fact that I too went against my parents choices for a suitable suitor. William was right"
She let out small, soft sobs and let her father place a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Perhaps," he began "you should be delivering those words to James?"
Elizabeth nodded and picked up a napkin with which she dabbed her eyes.
"Right that you are father I just pray he will be a forgiving as you are"
She left her father at the balcony and went in search of her son.
* * *
James skipped backwards and forwards. His movements were clumsy and futile. He had his mind on others things, those other things being Fleur. He spun around when he heard the door of his fathers shop open. He turned around once more when he said it was his mother.
"James dear," she said, "perhaps I was too rash in deciding to seek for you a wife I found please able. I have realized now that it is not my choice to make on your decision on who you will marry"
James sheathed his sword, "what are you saying mother" he asked, "what brought this sudden change of heart?"
Elizabeth smiled fondly at her son, "a little thing called the past, dear. Now I want you to clean up in a few good hours. Supper will be ready then and I wish to share the meal as a family"
James bobbed is head in acknowledgement and returned to his practices letting Elizabeth leave the blacksmith, a smile adorning her delicate features.
Jack Sparrow stumbled out from the pub. He knew all too well it was a bad idea to go setting sail when you were not entirely sober but he did not care. He even now wondered why he had gone drinking when he knew they were to sail off very shortly.
"Ahh, yes" he grumbled stumbling forward a few steps, how could he possibly forget.
He had been trying to drown his sorrows with rum; it seemed to work while he was marooned on that cursed spit of land years ago. He had been reminiscing over Anamaria's mysterious disappearance. It had all happened not so long ago, when Fleur had only been with them both a few months. He and Anamaria had been arguing over his wanting to continue to roam the seas and Anamaria's intent on settling down.
"No chance in hell will I bring my daughter up a pirate!" Anamaria snarled to Jack her deep brown eyes almost shooting flames.
"If you wish love, she will not be one then. Though her parents always will be and tis hard not to be what you grow up and are destined to be," Jack told her while leaning against the wheel.
Anamaria stamped her foot, "Jack Sparrow" she scolded "I was a respectable woman until you showed up and stole my boat"
"Borrowed Anamaria, borrowed" Jack corrected using his infamous hand gestures to emphasise his argument "how many times must I tell you that"
"And how many times must I remind you that you did not give me the ship you so gallantly promised me in place of my old one?" Anamaria growled back.
Jack pulled slightly back from her, "Anamaria, love. I will not retire from my scallywaggin days for yours truly. Pirate tis in my blood"
Anamaria let her palm fly and slapped him.
"Ok, I deserved that" Jack agreed.
Anamaria let out a sigh of frustration and marched off, Jack calling her name and following closely behind her. She headed for the stern and rested her crossed arms on the railing. Her eyes took in the majesty of the ocean but her mood was to foul to care.
"Anamaria, please" Jack pleaded.
Anamaria turned to him, "tell me Jack of which of the following alternatives do you prefer. A life consisting of a child and her parents both being present or a lifetime of hard sailing for a father who tries to raise a daughter without her mother?"
Jack raised an eyebrow, "Anamaria...what are you saying?"
"I am presenting you, Jack Sparrow a proposition that I believe you will find quite interesting"
"Anamaria -" Jack begun but stopped when Anamaria climbed onto the top of the railing, "lets not do anything stupid now" he said carefully.
"Decide Jack!" she commanded.
Jack looked over his shoulder at his beloved Pearl. Her groaning decks and her wind whipping sails. He would give up anything for his daughter, even a life of piracy. He turned back to Anamaria but found she was not there.
"Anamaria?" he asked looking around, he then rushed to the railing and when he saw her hat floating on the Black Pearls wake he screamed in agony, "Anamaria! Somebody drop anchor!" he ordered before plunging into the ocean after her.
Jack rubbed his forehead and came back to reality, as he viewed the Pearl in all her majesty moored in the moonlight he felt his stomach contract. He had told Fleur about her mothers death when she was 15. He had never found Anamaria's body so he could only hold onto her hat and his memories of the time they had shared together. He would never forgive himself for that day, he couldn't. Jack staggered a few steps back then collapsed onto the sidewalk. Fleur had disappeared right after he informed her that they were not going to stop at Port Royal which gave Jack the impression that she had jumped off stern and swam to shore. A little voice inside his head laughed, 'what if she did not make it'. Jack got up determinedly, his daughter did make it and in a few days he would be able to prove so. He headed for his ship and sauntered up the plank to gain entry.
* * *
"My father and I had a disagreement and I simply dived off the stern and swam to shore," Fleur said to James as they swung their legs over the stone bridge.
"What if you had not of made it to shore. You were in bad shape as it was when I found you" James asked.
Fleur shrugged, "but my friend, I did make it" she said to him.
When James did not reply she continued, "twas lucky you were on the beach though. I might not have been awoken in time had you not of been there"
"I was trying to hide from my parents. They seem so intent in getting me to marry a duchess or - or somebody rich" he grumbled, "I have no idea into their motifs"
Fleur looked up at him, "is that why you told them I was a governor's daughter?"
James shrugged, "why do I do anything?"
Fleur looked away from the cryptic question and gazed at the water running below them in hopes it could supply her an answer.
"You need not reply, "James assured her, "I need not an answer right at this time for I am not entirely sure that I could control it"
* * *
Elizabeth stared blankly at her reflection and let the maid run the brush down her long ponytail. She rehearsed all the theories she had extracted from her few days of watching Esmeralda Vazquez. She certainly did not like to entertain the idea that William had the nerve to propose the other night.
"Ma'am your son is here to speak with you," a butler said from the doorway.
"Good, good. Show him in then" she shooed away the maid and stood up. She watched her son enter her room and waited momentarily before moving towards the balcony.
James came to a stand still, his eyes taking in his mother and the majesty that seemed to radiate from her.
"Sit down please James William Turner" Elizabeth commanded rather than requested while motioning to a table and chairs on her balcony.
The sun was balancing on the horizon and streaked the clouds and ocean with rays of golden red colour. As the two sat a maid came and lit the candles in the room casting pale light onto them both.
"It's a wonderful night is it not?" Elizabeth said taking in a deep draught of fresh Caribbean air.
"That it is mother," James said carefully.
"I certainly believe a night like this is truly romantic" Elizabeth told him, "if you please, James" she asked signalling that he fold his napkin like she had taught him to do so, "I was hoping your father would talk to you about this but it seems to be apparent he has not so I have taken it into my own hands"
James tried not to let his boredom show as his mother prattled on about rules of engagement.
"Are you even listening to me James?" Elizabeth asked sharply.
"Hmmm?" James mumbled tearing his attention from the last rays of the sun poking from behind the horizon.
"Honestly James. If you'd please listen! I wish not to see my only son falling for some - some fraud who -"
"She is not a fraud!" James shouted springing up, "I will not just remain speechless while you weave a web of lies about Esmeralda"
Elizabeth rose slowly, "now I understand James that - "
"No! No you do not understand!" James growled cutting her off and leaving the room.
Elizabeth sighed and reclaimed her sitting position. No sooner had she sat down had the tea she intended to share with James arrived and shortly after the tea, came her father.
"James told you then" Elizabeth said as her father sat down.
"Dearest daughter," Governor Swann chuckled, "you think it wise undermining your son's feelings?"
Elizabeth avoided his eye and sipped daintily at her tea, "is this tea the one that arrived on the shipment yesterday? It tastes robustly fresh"
"Elizabeth, Elizabeth," her father chortled, "don't change the subject. Might you please listen to what I have to say?"
Elizabeth met his gaze, "I will listen," she told him frostily.
"Now surely you have not forgotten of the proposal Admiral Norrington conducted these 18 years ago?"
"No, I have not" Elizabeth replied wondering where her father could be leading the conversation.
"Then surely you remember that I was not at all charmed with the idea of you marrying dear William? Surely give your own son a margin in which he has room to disappoint. If he truly loves Miss Vazquez should not you leave him be?"
Elizabeth's eyes widened, "how could I have been oh so naïve?" she asked, "I was entirely ignoring the fact that I too went against my parents choices for a suitable suitor. William was right"
She let out small, soft sobs and let her father place a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Perhaps," he began "you should be delivering those words to James?"
Elizabeth nodded and picked up a napkin with which she dabbed her eyes.
"Right that you are father I just pray he will be a forgiving as you are"
She left her father at the balcony and went in search of her son.
* * *
James skipped backwards and forwards. His movements were clumsy and futile. He had his mind on others things, those other things being Fleur. He spun around when he heard the door of his fathers shop open. He turned around once more when he said it was his mother.
"James dear," she said, "perhaps I was too rash in deciding to seek for you a wife I found please able. I have realized now that it is not my choice to make on your decision on who you will marry"
James sheathed his sword, "what are you saying mother" he asked, "what brought this sudden change of heart?"
Elizabeth smiled fondly at her son, "a little thing called the past, dear. Now I want you to clean up in a few good hours. Supper will be ready then and I wish to share the meal as a family"
James bobbed is head in acknowledgement and returned to his practices letting Elizabeth leave the blacksmith, a smile adorning her delicate features.