Disclaimer/Author's notes: Don't sue this lowly author for she has no loot.
Unless you'd like ten cents and a couple moths, feel free. :) I wish I
owned Jack/Johnny Depp and all the other characters. It would make for many
fun afternoons. *tramps off to let you read the story* Reviews make me
happy!
Until Morning Comes
Nighttime had settled over Port Royale, the shops were all closed, and mostly everyone was asleep in their respective homes. The dense fog had settled over the small town, giving the dimly lit streets an eerie, ghostly air of feeling. The governor's mansion stood atop the highest hill in the small harbor town, looking down upon the peasant shops, civilian bars, and homes. A smaller, seperate structure stood beside the great mansion, looking no less extravagant beside the more superior home. This structure housed the governor's own daughter, simply named Elizabeth, and her beloved husband, Will, once a lowly blacksmith.
The governor had hired the best workers in the entire town of Port Royale to build this house, because after all, nothing was too good for his daughter and son-in-law. All of this took place after the couple's heroic adventure with the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl, when pirates had kidnapped Elizabeth and taken her hostage, mistakening her for the Turner family's youngest heiress. After returning Elizabeth to her rightful home, the pirate Captain Sparrow had escaped with his life, and William had taken Elizabeth for his bride. The town buzzed with gossip for weeks after this adventure had closed to an end, and many rumours spead about, none of which were true. Will and Elizabeth had recieved their own, seperate home as a wedding gift from the governor, and the town had quieted down...for the meantime.
A lithe, unknown figure cut through the night fog as it made it's way down the deserted street. An unitentitable bundle was concealed in the person's arms as it ran, breath coming out in small clouds of cold air. The figure stopped, leaning against the wall of a random shop, and pulled back the hood of the cloak it was wearing. She was definately a woman, even in the dim street light one could see the gentle curve of her face, sleek facial features, and most of all -- her soft, strawberry red hair. Such a well groomed woman was not common in the town, due to lack of hygiene and personal care. The woman pulled back a flap of the bundle covering her burden to reveal a tiny baby. The babe was obviously the offspring of the woman, since the child had bright red hair, but other characteristics weren't as comparable. The baby's cheekbones stood out, and were unnaurally high, highlighting her face when it laughed. The woman smiled as the baby opened it's eyes, revealing its deep brown eyes. She looked behind her to make sure no one was following her, then she continued her trek towards the smaller mansion that neighbored the bigger one.
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"Why must we go to those bloody parties? They're so stuffy, I have to wear one of those damn corsets, plus I've probably been to every one Port Royale has ever held! I'd like a break, William," Elizabeth looked at her husbands face as they lay in bed as he told her the news of yet another party.
Will took his wife of just six month's hand, and looked into her eyes. "Please, just one more? I've never been to one, because you know the blacksmiths never ge invited anywhere. All the important officials are afraid we'll get soot everywhere and you know that's not tru--" Elizabeth placed her fingers on her husband's lips, hiding a smile at his eagerness. "If you really want to go, then I will accompany you. Although they're really nothing to be excited about. You'll learn that quickly." Will smiled and kissed his wife, the flickering light from the bedside candles casting shadows everywhere across the room.
A rustle of bushes from the bushes outside caught Elizabeth's attention and she broke away from her husband. Will looked puzzled and grabbed Elizabeth's hand, but she quietly slipped out of bed.
"'Liz, it's probably just some animal that got loose from it's owner. Come back to bed, it's cold outside," Will pleaded as Elizabeth made her way to the open patio doors. The bitter wind traveled through the doors, violently tossing the candle flames around, almost putting them out.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes as she pulled her robe closed tighter around her nightgown-clad body, tying the sash around her waist. "Now I just want to see what it was, worrywart." She paused, and smiled, pursing her lips. "It's not like a cursed pirate will jump out at me, and try to cut my throat." Will rolled his eyes as Elizabeth stepped out onto the patio and looked down into the foliage below. Something dashing across the lawn caught her eye and she snapped her head towards it; it was the figure of a person. Whoever it was didn't appear to have anything in their arms, so therefore burglary was not an option.
More rustling from below then caught Will's attention and he looked questioningly at his wife. Elizabeth caught his gaze, and quickly made her way to the doorway. "Someone was here...and they left something." Will threw back the bed's comforter and put his hands on Elizabeth's shoulders. "You don't know what it could be. Stay here, I'll check."
Elizabeth glared daggers at him. "I'm quite capable enough to take care of myself if it happens to be anything dangerous. Which I highly believe it is not." She brushed past him, leaving him there looking somewhat stunned, before following her down the marble steps to the front door. Elizabeth reached the door first, and tentatively opened it, glancing at the outside cautiously before stepping onto the stoop. Something lying in her way nearly made her trip, but Will caught her in time before she tumbled down the steps.
"Good Lord, Will.." Elizabeth's eyes widened as the baby lying on the front stoop gurgled and reached out for her. She reached out and, making sure a hand was behind the child's head to support it's head, picked it up and cradled it to her breast. She looked out across the lawn to where she had seen the woman flee, but no one was visible.
"Why in the world would someone leave their child here?" The baby shifted in it's bundle of blankets, revealing a small piece of folded paper tucked into the bundle's folds. Will picked the paper out of the blanket and opened it for them to read.
"Dear occupants, please graciously welcome my child into your home, for you have far more money than I could ever scrounge up. Her father left us for the sea, and I can scarcely find rations for myself, let alone another being. Please give her the love and care Caroline deserves. You are forever in my debt." Will flipped the page over for a signature, or any other form of identification, but there was none.
Elizabeth smiled as Caroline grabbed onto her hair and gently tugged with her tiny hands. "Will, we need to keep her. You know we can't just throw her out." Will looked into her wife's pleading eyes. They had been trying for a child since they got married, but no luck. A look of discern crossed Will's features.
"This baby looks nothing like us...the town will think of you as a tramp."
"Oh, you know I don't care what any of those toads think of me. Let them gossip about our lives, I could care less. I want to keep her."
Will finally nodded, tucking the note into his pocket as he led his wife and new daughter inside their home, closing the door behind them. From off the grounds, the unknown woman from before rose from her position behind a building, wiping a tear from her cheek as she walked away to the harbour.
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Well, what do you think? Next chapter coming soon, lovies.
Until Morning Comes
Nighttime had settled over Port Royale, the shops were all closed, and mostly everyone was asleep in their respective homes. The dense fog had settled over the small town, giving the dimly lit streets an eerie, ghostly air of feeling. The governor's mansion stood atop the highest hill in the small harbor town, looking down upon the peasant shops, civilian bars, and homes. A smaller, seperate structure stood beside the great mansion, looking no less extravagant beside the more superior home. This structure housed the governor's own daughter, simply named Elizabeth, and her beloved husband, Will, once a lowly blacksmith.
The governor had hired the best workers in the entire town of Port Royale to build this house, because after all, nothing was too good for his daughter and son-in-law. All of this took place after the couple's heroic adventure with the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl, when pirates had kidnapped Elizabeth and taken her hostage, mistakening her for the Turner family's youngest heiress. After returning Elizabeth to her rightful home, the pirate Captain Sparrow had escaped with his life, and William had taken Elizabeth for his bride. The town buzzed with gossip for weeks after this adventure had closed to an end, and many rumours spead about, none of which were true. Will and Elizabeth had recieved their own, seperate home as a wedding gift from the governor, and the town had quieted down...for the meantime.
A lithe, unknown figure cut through the night fog as it made it's way down the deserted street. An unitentitable bundle was concealed in the person's arms as it ran, breath coming out in small clouds of cold air. The figure stopped, leaning against the wall of a random shop, and pulled back the hood of the cloak it was wearing. She was definately a woman, even in the dim street light one could see the gentle curve of her face, sleek facial features, and most of all -- her soft, strawberry red hair. Such a well groomed woman was not common in the town, due to lack of hygiene and personal care. The woman pulled back a flap of the bundle covering her burden to reveal a tiny baby. The babe was obviously the offspring of the woman, since the child had bright red hair, but other characteristics weren't as comparable. The baby's cheekbones stood out, and were unnaurally high, highlighting her face when it laughed. The woman smiled as the baby opened it's eyes, revealing its deep brown eyes. She looked behind her to make sure no one was following her, then she continued her trek towards the smaller mansion that neighbored the bigger one.
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"Why must we go to those bloody parties? They're so stuffy, I have to wear one of those damn corsets, plus I've probably been to every one Port Royale has ever held! I'd like a break, William," Elizabeth looked at her husbands face as they lay in bed as he told her the news of yet another party.
Will took his wife of just six month's hand, and looked into her eyes. "Please, just one more? I've never been to one, because you know the blacksmiths never ge invited anywhere. All the important officials are afraid we'll get soot everywhere and you know that's not tru--" Elizabeth placed her fingers on her husband's lips, hiding a smile at his eagerness. "If you really want to go, then I will accompany you. Although they're really nothing to be excited about. You'll learn that quickly." Will smiled and kissed his wife, the flickering light from the bedside candles casting shadows everywhere across the room.
A rustle of bushes from the bushes outside caught Elizabeth's attention and she broke away from her husband. Will looked puzzled and grabbed Elizabeth's hand, but she quietly slipped out of bed.
"'Liz, it's probably just some animal that got loose from it's owner. Come back to bed, it's cold outside," Will pleaded as Elizabeth made her way to the open patio doors. The bitter wind traveled through the doors, violently tossing the candle flames around, almost putting them out.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes as she pulled her robe closed tighter around her nightgown-clad body, tying the sash around her waist. "Now I just want to see what it was, worrywart." She paused, and smiled, pursing her lips. "It's not like a cursed pirate will jump out at me, and try to cut my throat." Will rolled his eyes as Elizabeth stepped out onto the patio and looked down into the foliage below. Something dashing across the lawn caught her eye and she snapped her head towards it; it was the figure of a person. Whoever it was didn't appear to have anything in their arms, so therefore burglary was not an option.
More rustling from below then caught Will's attention and he looked questioningly at his wife. Elizabeth caught his gaze, and quickly made her way to the doorway. "Someone was here...and they left something." Will threw back the bed's comforter and put his hands on Elizabeth's shoulders. "You don't know what it could be. Stay here, I'll check."
Elizabeth glared daggers at him. "I'm quite capable enough to take care of myself if it happens to be anything dangerous. Which I highly believe it is not." She brushed past him, leaving him there looking somewhat stunned, before following her down the marble steps to the front door. Elizabeth reached the door first, and tentatively opened it, glancing at the outside cautiously before stepping onto the stoop. Something lying in her way nearly made her trip, but Will caught her in time before she tumbled down the steps.
"Good Lord, Will.." Elizabeth's eyes widened as the baby lying on the front stoop gurgled and reached out for her. She reached out and, making sure a hand was behind the child's head to support it's head, picked it up and cradled it to her breast. She looked out across the lawn to where she had seen the woman flee, but no one was visible.
"Why in the world would someone leave their child here?" The baby shifted in it's bundle of blankets, revealing a small piece of folded paper tucked into the bundle's folds. Will picked the paper out of the blanket and opened it for them to read.
"Dear occupants, please graciously welcome my child into your home, for you have far more money than I could ever scrounge up. Her father left us for the sea, and I can scarcely find rations for myself, let alone another being. Please give her the love and care Caroline deserves. You are forever in my debt." Will flipped the page over for a signature, or any other form of identification, but there was none.
Elizabeth smiled as Caroline grabbed onto her hair and gently tugged with her tiny hands. "Will, we need to keep her. You know we can't just throw her out." Will looked into her wife's pleading eyes. They had been trying for a child since they got married, but no luck. A look of discern crossed Will's features.
"This baby looks nothing like us...the town will think of you as a tramp."
"Oh, you know I don't care what any of those toads think of me. Let them gossip about our lives, I could care less. I want to keep her."
Will finally nodded, tucking the note into his pocket as he led his wife and new daughter inside their home, closing the door behind them. From off the grounds, the unknown woman from before rose from her position behind a building, wiping a tear from her cheek as she walked away to the harbour.
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Well, what do you think? Next chapter coming soon, lovies.