NOTE: There was a change in chapter 1: the time changed. I told you that I had no idea how this would turn out, and when I made a really cool addition I realized the time didn't line up, so changed it. If you don't feel like scanning through it, then I'll just tell you: instead of it bein 3 years after the movie, it's 6.
Aliena and Annette are my property, even though I don't own Jack, Will, Elizabeth, or anyone else from the move POTC.
Okay, this took a while to work out my version of Jack's history, so enjoy and don't copy my take on it! -growls warningly-
Chapter 3: Jack's Past, Part 1
"Tales o' me bravery an' darin' escapes, eh?" Jack asked, eyeing the three of them. "I'm sure ye've all 'eard 'em, in one story or anotheh. But, if ye insist..."
Annette stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Yes Jack, we've heard all those stories. Tell us one nobody else knows. Where did the infamous Jack Sparrow come from?"
"Ah. Ye want that story, aye?" Jack spoke slowly, sweeping his eyes along those around him and was met with eager faces. "Very well. But on'y fer friends so dear teh me 'eart.
"Where teh begin? Well, me dad wus a pirate, an' I'm sure all 'ere know wha' pirates do best 'round women." He glanced at each of them, a myscheivous sparkle in his eye and was met with a nod every time. "Thought so. Therefore, I wus raised by me mum. She wus a maid so we didn't get much money. When I wus 'bout 7, I learned how teh sail so's I could fish an' gain pocket money. Not that I used it. I was a... a very mischeivous youth, savvy? Fishin' wus rather borin', too, so one day I decided I needed entertainment. A dagger'd do nicely. I 'ad a lot of fun obtainin' it; they saw me an' the chase was exhiliratin'.
"I wus good wiff tha' dagger fr'm th' start." Will snorted softly, but Jack just ignored him. "kept it wiff me all the time. Practiced while fishin', an' learned all kin's o' thin's tha' a dagger wus good fer. Eventually, though, I decided tha' such a short blade wus unbecomin'. I needed a sword. All o' th' town's children envied me, their swords were still wooden, and a'fore long I could beat any of 'em easily.
"As ye can well imagine, this sort o' life bored me. As soon as I could I wus off teh seek adventure. Welp, me mum wasn't stupid, she'd suspected such a thin'd happen, and gave me this bandana"--he indicated the faded red cloth wrapped around his head--"as a momento. She'd worked hard teh raise me, so I honehed her wish--yes, even at 13 I had honeh--and wore the bandana always. It'd help me sometimes, knowin' tha' someone out there cares fer me..." Jack grew rather wistful, then blinked and looked around. Will looked a little amused at seeing the pirate act so sentamental, Elizabeth was dabbing at her eyes like the lady she was, and Annette was smiling at him. She obviously didn't know him very well yet.
He turned a very light shade of pink and cleared his throat roughly, to Will's intense amusement, before continuing his tale.
"As I wus sayin', I sought adventure, and not long after leavin' me 'ome I found it. The cap'n o' th' tradin' vessel th' Gray Dawn wus so impressed wiff me knowledge o' boats tha' he took me on without a secnd thought." There was a cough from Will that sounded suspiciously like a snicker, and Jack glared at him for a moment.
"Are ye quite finished? Or d'ye need so'more ale teh clear up tha' cough o' yers?"
Will smirked. "No, I'm perfectly fine, thanks for asking. You can continue."
"Thank ye," said Jack in very sarcastic tones. "I'm glad tha' ye'll allow me teh tell a story requested by yer lovely sisteh." Annette blushed slightly, not used to compliments, and Jack winked at her. Will rolled his eyes at Jack's now very normal behavior.
"Welp, I stayed aboard th' Gray Dawn, climbin' the ranks steadily, 'til, at 21, I wus first mate, and Cap'n Masake's most trusted friend. Th' day I wus brought teh th' post, which also happened teh be me birthday, he presented me wiff a gift." Jack took off his hat and looked at it fondly. Will and Elizabeth both knew how much that hat meant to him, so made no snide remarks. Annette was rather confused, but decided to speak with Will about it later.
Jack replaced the hat then continued with his story. "I kept th' post fer 'round two years, but merchant ships're rather borin', and so off I went again.
"Took me a few months, but at last came a ship teh me likin'. Th' Misted Wave, th' first pirate vessel I'd come 'cross. It wus great fun, usin' the talents I'd acquired as a boy, on'y on a larger scale an' wiff much more danger. Six years flew by, an' I in rank 'til one day, I wus first mate by then, a woman came aboard. It was a complete accident, she'd been shipwrecked and we'd happened teh come teh th' island she wus on teh replemish our wateh. Sasha wus her name, an' it wus hard teh tell she wus a woman, due teh bein' nearly starved. Welp, the cap'n didn't fancy havin' a woman on board, but she wus rather strong an' willin' teh work, so she wus used fer labor.
"After she'd filled back out, her gender wus... quite obvious. Everyone on th' crew paid 'er rather... ah, special attentions. Now, Sasha didn't much like th' way men acted towards 'er, an' th' new treatment made her pretty angry. Many a man got 'er 'andprint on 'is cheek, I can tell ye!" Jack's eyes sparkled with amusement. He remembered laughing the longest and loudest when Sasha's enraged shout rang out, followed by a very loud smack. "Welp, Sasha wus different from any other woman I'd met a'fore, so I waus intrigued. One day I decided teh 'ave a nice lil chat wiff 'er while she wus workin' on minor hull repairs."
At that moment, the door to the galley flew open and in rushed a little girl who couldn't have been older than five, wearing a boy's shirt and breeches with a wooden sword in her hand. Her long, curly black hair was pulled back in a disheveled braid, and her green eyes were wide with suppressed excitement. Her bare feet slapped against the wooden floor as she ran straight into Jack's arms. He laughed and hugged her before setting the little girl on his lap.
"Uncle Jackie!" she squealed. "Uncle Jackie! Guess what happened!"
"Ye fell overboard?" he replied. "'Cause ye know tha'd make me day."
She giggled and shook her head, causing her braid to flip over her shoulder. "O' course not! How could I be sitting in your lap if I'd fallen into the sea? Silly pirate!"
"Well, wha' then?" he asked.
"Didn't you hear me say guess? Guess what happened Uncle Jackie!"
Jack started tapping his chin with a finger. "Hmm... Wha could happen teh a cute lil gal on a pirate ship?" He jaked hard thought then shrugged. "I'm all out o' guesses. Wha' happened?"
In her excited wriggling she almost fell out of Jack's lap as she answered. "I beat James in a duel!"
Jack laughed in delight at the exact moment that Will and Elizabeth's mouths dropped open in astonishment. "Tha's me lil Allie Cat! Beatin' a boy twice yer age, now that's an accomplishment!"
Will cleared his throat loudly and the pirate and child both looked at him. "Your Allie Cat? Last I looked Aliena was my daughter."
"I am teachin' 'er swordplay."
"As am I, her father."
"Welp, looks like on'y Aliena 'erself can solve this. Little Liena, who's th' better teacher?"
Aliena stuck a forefinger in her mouth, and looked uncertainly between her father and Jack. "I like you both."
Jack bounced her a bit on his knee, a fond smile on his face. "Come, come, don't leave us in th' dark, darlin'."
"Daddy!" She leapt off the pirate captain's lap, and ran into Will's open arms. He heaved her up and balanced her on a ip, her arms wrapped around his neck.
"That's my little Allie cat!"
Jack placed his hands over his heart and splayed out on the chair, a hurt look on his face. "Oh, now ye've 'urt me feelin's, lass."
"I'm sorry, Uncle Jackie... Well, you teach guns better!"
Elizabeth started and quickly examined her daughter.
"Are ye lookin' fer blood, Elizabeth? It's not like someone shot 'er." Jack was watching the very protective mother search for wounds on her completely whole daughter.
Elizabeth turned on him, eyes flashing. "Don't give me that, Jack Sparrow! Guns, honestly! Pirate or no, I would've thought that you had a bit more discretion than to let a five-year-old girl handle a gun! Anything could've happened, even if you were watching her every moment. If Aliena is to learn how to handle a gun it will only be after I say it's okay!"
Jack stood to defend himself and put his hands up, palms toward her, in a gesture of innocence. "Now calm down, Elizabeth, it wusn't loaded. An' wha' could've 'appened? Other than droppin' it on 'er toe an' gettin' a boo-boo? She has a very strong grip, though, th' gun ne'er wavered. I'm very proud o' 'er." Jack looked at the little girl, a proud grin on his face, and Aliena beamed back.
In the face of this argument, and the grin on Will's face that matched Jack's, Elizabeth gave in with good grace, but admonished Jack to be extremely careful when letting Aliena near guns.
"When've I not been careful wiff th' lil darlin'?" Jack asked, a surprised look masking the mirth underneath.
In reply, she rolled her eyes, and noticed Annette, rather confused, standing in the background. Elizabeth looked embarrassed and apologetic as she took her sister-in-law's arm, guiding her closer to the group. "I'm awfully sorry, Annette, I forgot that you haven't met your niece." She took Aliena from Will, gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, then turned back to Annette. "Annette, this is Aliena. Aliena, meet your Aunt Annette."
"Pleased to meet you, Aliena," Annette said, a smile of fondness already on her face for the young girl.
"Aunt Annie!" Her face lit up with delight, and she reached her arms out to Annette, begging for a hug. She took the girl from Elizabeth and hugged her tightly. Just a few days ago she had almost lost hope of finding any member of her family ever again. Her mother had died before she and Will had separated, she hadn't seen her father in who knew how long (she didn't even remember what he looked like), and there had been no trace of Will in all the long years that she had spent waiting in Port Royal. Yet here she was, with her brother back, a new sister, and even a niece. She had a family again.
There was a squeak from the bundle she was holding and Annette realized that she was probably squeezing too hard. Grinning, she loosened her grip and a smiling face popped up. "Aunt Annie, I just had a great idea. You can learn swords with me and Daddy and Uncle Jackie!"
All of the adults laughed lightly at this, and the child looked around in confusion. Annette brought up a hand and smoothed the bits of black hair escaping from Aliena's braid. "It's very sweet of you to think of me, dear, but I don't think so."
Her face fell in adorable disappointment. "But... but why not?"
Annette planted her finger on Aliena's nose. "Because I don't need it. When one lives alone certain protection is needed."
"You mean you already know swords?"
"I'm not that prepared. I only know daggers."
Aliena's eyes grew round with awe. "Really? Can I see?"
"I'm not sure if I should..." She looked to Will and Elizabeth, who were both in between amusement at their daughter and surprise at the unexpected talent of Annette's. They nodded and she released the child.
Aliena retreated to her father and clung to his leg, her eyes still wide as saucers. Will placed a hand on her back, but he was just as intrigued as his daughter.
Annette, too, had backed up, getting away from everyone before revealing any blades previously sharpened to deadly points. She looked around a moment, securing a few choice points of refernce. Taking a moment to think, her hand moved in a peculiar way and she suddenly had a polished dagger in her hand, the hilt of well-worn wood. Almost absently, she twirled the dagger, walking it back and forth across her knuckles as she thought of a suitable demonstration.
Before she could begin however, the door to the inner galley sprang open to admit Bartholomew, causing a loud bang as the door slammed into the wall. Annette started, and faster than eyes could follow, her arm shot out. The next thing anyone knew, the cook was flat against the wall, the hilt of a dagger laying on his head.
It took her a moment to realize what she had done, then she gasped and covered her mouth in horror. Bartholomew, now quite pale, slowly slid down the wall, leaving his hat behind. That broke the spell on Annette, and she walked forward quickly to retrieve her dagger. Released from the wall, the hat fell down to land crookedly on Bartholomew's head, covering his eyes.
Embarassed, Annette turned to face the stunned expressions of her friends. The two men were good with daggers, but not that good. Aliena was the first to move, dashing to her aunt with an excited squeal.
"That was so neat, Aunt Annie! Can you teach me to do that?"
Annette laughed as she picked up the girl and gave her another hug.
The girl's enthusiasm also restored movement to everyone else, and Will gave an exaggerated moan. "You're already learning about swords and guns, Allie, why suddenly daggers?"
"Did you see how cool that was? I wanna learn to do that! Can I Daddy? Please?" She wiggled out of Annette's arms and ran to cling pleadingly to her father's leg.
Will looked down into her puppy-dog green eyes and chuckled as he ruffled her hair. "How can I say no to that? That is... if Annette is willing."
"Please, Aunt Annie?" she asked. "Please?"
"I don't mind," Annette said. "It will give me a chance to get to know my niece."
Cheering, Aliena grabbed Annette's hand and started pulling her toward the door. "Come on, Aunt Annie! I'll show you around the ship. Uncle Jackie says she's the fastest ship in the Caribbean. I think she's real pretty. Do you like her, Aunt Annie?"
"The Pearl is a beautiful ship," she replied, but she was looking at Jack. With one last slightly regretful look at the group, Annette was lost to sight, though Aliena's happy chatter was far from silent.