Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

1.

"What did you think you were doing, Christina?" my father said angrily as he paced back and forth like a caged animal. I was sitting on a rather uncomfortable arm chair, watching him intently. Perhaps he would be so angry, his heart would fail him and he would keel over. I scolded myself, what an awful thing to say.

"Well, answer me!" my father demanded. I sighed, "I was terribly frightened, Father, I myself know not what I was doing…you and Elizabeth were walking terribly fast and I couldn't keep up in that big dress, and before I knew it, I was far behind and I was scared to walk alone, so I went to the nearest shop where a good strong man could protect me. How was I supposed to know that Mr. Brown would be passed out drunk? 'Tis a good thing Will…I mean, Mr. Turner…was there to protect me!" I said. My father glared at me.

"I will not have you speaking ill of Mr. Brown, Christina, he did a great thing today, and deserves our respect," my father said. My patience snapped.

"Oh, do you mean that the great thing was waking up in order to knock out Mr. Sparrow, while all the while Will was the one fighting - and protecting me - the whole time? Does he deserve my respect for that? Well, I'm sorry but he doesn't have it." I got to my feet, quite ready to leave.

"That is enough!" my father roared, and I backed up a bit, shocked. He never raised his voice, not even to me. Well, he barely talked to me, so I can see how he never raised his voice. And he would never even scold Queen Elizabeth. Heaven forbid, the harsh words might lash her fair skin or something. He looked apologetic but said, "You are becoming to impudent, daughter, and I will not have it. It is not your place. Now off to bed with you," he said. I glared and stalked off.

"…I mean you being threatened by that pirate; sounds terrifying," Eleanor was saying to Elizabeth. "Oh, yes, it was terrifying," Elizabeth said, not sounding as entirely convincing as she might have. "But the Commodore proposed. Fancy that, that's a smart match, if I may be so bold to say."

"He is a smart match. He's a fine man; he's what any woman should dream of marrying."

"Well, that Will Turner, he's a fine man, too." Damn that Eleanor. I never liked her, although I'd only met her this morning.

"That is too bold," I heard Elizabeth say. Sure it was, but she liked the idea nonetheless. Stupid sister, I never liked her either and I'd lived with her for twenty years. Twenty bloody God-forsaken years.

"Well, begging your pardon, Miss, 'twas not my place," Eleanor mumbled quietly, sounding pleased with herself. How much longer was I supposed to live with this?

I hurried into the room and Eleanor looked at me, surprised. I glared at her, "Good night, Eleanor, dear," I said. Elizabeth glared at me. "How are you feeling, Elizabeth? All better now?" I asked. She didn't smile, "I'm fine. And you? If what I heard was right, you had an even more terrifying ordeal than I did," she said stiffly.

"Yes, well at least dear Mr. Turner was there to protect me," I said, regretting it immediately. How stupid, I was being jealous and childish. I couldn't help it though. The thought of Will and my sister together broke my heart. Oh, I knew it wasn't at all likely that they would marry. She's the Governor's youngest daughter, and he's the town blacksmith. Not even that. He's the apprentice to the town blacksmith! My father would not have it. But it hurt all the same that Will loved her in a way that he would never love me.

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth, I'm very tired and a bit snappish," I said, walking over to my bed. Elizabeth nodded and closed her eyes.

Mary had come from the back of the room, "You must ignore what that goose, Eleanor, was saying, Miss Swann," she said quietly. "Mary, my father is not around you may call me Christina," I said, pointedly ignoring what she had said.

Mary helped me out of my heavy dress, and I let out a breath that felt as if I'd been holding it all day when she unlaced the corset. I wouldn't be surprised if there were welts from where the metal cords of the awful thing had been.

"Bloody London," I muttered. Mary laughed. I lay down and she put a hot pan under the bed sheets at the foot of the bed. "If you ask me, Miss Swann, I think you and Will would make a better match anyway," she whispered, blowing out the candle.

"Yes, but you're biased, now aren't you?" I mumbled, nearly asleep as soon as my head hit the over-expensive down pillows. "I'd still think so even if I wasn't," Mary said, leaving to the maid's quarters. I smiled, thinking of Will and for once not stopping myself.

1.

Several hours later I was awoken by loud bangs coming, I assumed, from the town. My father's mansion was on a hill away from the bustle of the town, and the views were amazing. I got up swiftly and pulled on a robe, running to the window.

"Oh, hellfire," I swore, clutching the windowsill. Elizabeth was up as well, walking over to the window. "What is going on, Christina?" she asked nervously. I swallowed hard, "We're under attack," I said. She looked at me fearfully, and I grabbed her hand, running out of the room

We were on our way down the stairs when the door began to shudder as if being pounded on. The butler went to open the door. Fool!

"Don't!" Elizabeth shrieked, all to late. "Hello, chump," a filthy man said, holding up a pistol. I turned to Elizabeth and covered her eyes, glancing over my shoulder fearfully, seeing him shoot our butler. I screamed and closed my eyes, pushing Elizabeth forward and running back into our room.

"Miss Swann! They've come to kidnap you both!" Mary said, dragging Eleanor with her. "What!" my sister and I asked, shocked. "You're the Governor's daughters," Mary said, looking hard at me. She knew I could fight, but against an unknown amount of pirates? I wasn't that good! As for Eleanor, the poor girl seemed as if she would faint at any moment. I felt much like doing the same. "They haven't seen you yet. Hide and as soon as you can, run to the fort," Elizabeth said quickly, surprising me by sounding calm. Mary nodded and pulled Eleanor with her. "They've seen us both, Christina. What shall we do?" she asked me when Mary and Eleanor were out of sight. I bit my lip and came up with absolutely nothing.

Two pirates pounded at the door. Elizabeth ran to her bed. "What are you doing, do you think you can hide there and they wont see you?" I shouted at her. She grabbed the pan of hot coal from the foot of the bed and grabbed mine as well. "Oh, well, there's an idea," I muttered. The door broke and I shrieked, jumping back. The pirates came in.

"'Ello, pets," the short fat one said. The tall skinny one grinned stupidly, his wooden eye rolling around freakishly. They reeked of dead fish and rot. It was absolutely disgusting, and suddenly I didn't want to be a pirate anymore.

"You are disgusting," I said savagely, trying to push my way past. The tall one grabbed me around the waist and pushed me into the fat one. His hands were vile. "Get off me! Let go, you foul, squalid…let go!" I shrieked. Elizabeth ran up and emptied the hot coals onto their heads. I was infinitely grateful to have such a beautiful, wonderful, smart, lovely sister…

She grabbed my hand and we ran past, down the stairs, and the tall pirate leaped from the balcony of the stairs, landing in front of us and blocking our way. I grabbed one of the pans from Elizabeth and held it up in defense. She had dropped the other one. "Christina!" she said fearfully as the other pirate closed in on us from behind.

"Shh, don't worry Elizabeth, I'll get us out of this," I said back even though of the two of us, Elizabeth was the one doing all the quick-thinking. The pirates laughed at me. Suddenly a canon ball was shot through the wall, crashing and taking down a pirate who had stopped to loot our house. The chandelier above was creaking dangerously.

"Come on!" I yelled, running past into the dining room. Elizabeth ran to get the swords that were placed on the wall. Stupid place for swords to be. My father was a bit of a moron, and had the swords locked into place. They wouldn't come loose from the huge iron plaque thing that held them.

"Leave it!" I hissed to her, the pirates were banging on the door. "Hide somewhere - no, not there!" I said, as she ran to the closet. "When they find you they'll - " I started to say, but the door came crashing down. With all the money my father has, he could have built a stronger door, for God's sake. Actually, for my sake!

"Hello, love, where'd you pretty sister go?" the fat one asked. I scowled at him, "She jumped out the window rather than have to smell you!" I sneered, holding up the pot. They snarled and ran at me. I swung as hard as I could and hit the tall one in the face. He staggered back, but the fat one kept coming. I dodged him and ran around the table. He ran at me, and I ran around the table, stopping when he stopped and moving away from him when he ran towards me.

"We could do this until the soldiers come and kill you on the spot, or you could just leave now," I said. He smiled and ran at me again, and this time his partner was there to catch me when I ran away. I struggled and swung the pot up again, hitting him so he let me go. There was nothing I could do to hold off these men, if you could call them that. I ran at the window and dove out, shrieking even though it was only about a seven foot drop.

I hit the floor and rolled, praying that they would believe me when I said my sister had already left.