Author's notes.
Yay! The real story begins! And, before that, a special interview with Jack
Sparrow!-Raven
CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow! Why is that so hard for you????-Jack
Yes, Jack, we know, we know.-Talon
Anyway, why are you making me look soft?? And, for that matter, why wasn't I drinking rum?? Where was all the rum in the story? I can't be in a story without any rum!!
Don't worry Jack, the rum will come soon enough *snickers*-Talon
Whatever, dirty pirate-Raven
I heard that! And it's CAPTAIN Dirty Pirate, or whatever. Savvy?-Jack
Chapter 1 Old friends
"Jack." Gibbs said, taking a swig of rum. Jack rolled his eyes at Gibbs's lack of "Captain". "We all know you're crazy, Jack. And, we all know never to question you. But, why the bloody Earth are we going to port Arthur, when we could be out treasure hunting?" "Never, ever question an insane man, Gibbs." Jack replied, eying the bottle of rum. "We're out of rum, all save for the bottle you're wasting. And besides, Will and Elizabeth just had twins, and I mean to wish them good tidings!" "And, are you taking. . ." "Yes, Gibbs, I'm taking Jade." There was a brief pause, then: "Jack, why do you always drop her off on her own whenever you do anything halfway dangerous? After all, Jack. She's thirteen, practically a woman! You can't shelter her forever!" "Thirteen is an unlucky age, Gibbs." "You never were superstitious about anything, why all of a sudden about this?" Jack was silent for a moment. "I have my reasons. And I seriously doubt she's lived an all too sheltered life. As long as I don't put her in a corset, I think she'll be fine!" "Why haven't you ever told anybody about her? It's like she doesn't exist, except to the crew!" "I have my reasons, Gibbs. Like I said, never question a crazy man! I doubt you'll ever remember that!" "But, why show her off to the Turner's now?" "And that confirms my last statement!" Jack drawled, glaring. Gibbs just shrugged and strolled off, taking another swig of rum. "So, Dad!" Jade Sparrow said one night to the lump of a figure in the bed next to her own. Her father grunted and rolled over in his sleep. "Dad!" Jack didn't respond. Jade reached over and yanked the blankets off of him. "Give 'em back, Jade!" he grunted. "Are you finally going to let me meet somebody new?" Jack grunted again and made a swipe for the blankets. "Not until you answer my question!" "Yes! Now give 'em back, or you won't!" jade grinned and threw the blankets at his face, snuggling under her own warm quilts. Jack sighed and wrapped himself in his covers, warming himself against the chilling spring nights on the sea. He was suddenly regretting his choice to take her. It was all right for a man to dress as a pirate, because not all who dressed as one were one. But anyone with half the sense of Will Turner could guess she was a pirate. She could be hanged, or imprisoned. He couldn't stand to have that happen to her. He may not have truly loved her mother, but he by hell loved Jade!
"Oh, stop it!" he told himself firmly. "It's like Gibbs said! She's not a baby anymore! Heaven knows, her mouth has the experience of my own! And she's been made to swab decks more times than I can count, and, she's got some of the best knots I've ever seen! Yes, she ought to do just fine in the real world, away from this life on ancient decks and tattered sails."
With these comforting thoughts, ones that might not be truly comforting to a normal civilian, Jack forced himself into a deep slumber.
Jack grinned his lopsided grin as he examined Jade's sour expression.
"If I have to wear one of those wretched things, and one of those awful corsets to be a lady, I think I'd rather be a man!"
"Jade, all the women wear them, and, if the situation ever calls for it, you're going to wear a dress!"
Jade's expression grew darker, as she watched the rest of the crew amble into the tavern. Jack grabbed her by the wrist and practically dragged her down the crowded, bustling streets, bumping into someone occasionally, but not bothering to apologize, instead, bothering to relieve them of their heavy wallets that he was sure had to be a burden on them!
Nonchalantly, she rapped his fist on the whitewashed doors of the governer's mansion. The doors swung open, revealing a rosy looking maid, who abruptly screamed and slammed the doors shut. Jade had decided that now was the time to irritate her father.
"Dad! I think she's scared of you!"
"Yes Jade, she is!" He knocked again. No answer.
"Dad, she isn't answering!"
"No Jade, she isn't!"
"Can I go for a swim in the bay?"
"No, Jade, you can't."
"Can I join the crew in the tavern?"
"No, Jade, you can't!"
"Can I do something remotely interesting?"
"No Jade, you can't!"
"Can I climb the rose trellis?"
"No Jade, you can't!"
"Can I break into the house so we don't have to wait out here?"
"No, Jade, that wouldn't be polite!"
"You never taught me to be polite!"
"Just pretend I did, and shut-up, savvy?"
The door finally opened, and abruptly, Jade hid behind her father. She wasn't used to meeting new people, because of her father's crazed paranoia.
"Jack!" an excited voice exclaimed.
"Will!" Jack replied, taking Will's hand. They shook roughly. "I heard about the little ones and had to come over to get a look at them. And I need a new sword, by the way, my old one's rusted." Will chuckled and shook his head. "Well, come in, come in. And I hope this visit will be a long one, since you helped me get back Elizabeth two years ago, you've been in and out constantly!"
"Well, I couldn't leave Jade alone all by herself!" Jack said, taking a step inside. Jade followed, carefully concealing herself behind her father.
"Jade?" Will asked. "Have you finally found yourself a girl?"
"In a manner of speaking. Caroline wasn't the one for me, but the daughter is one helluva good pirate!"
"Daughter?"
"Jade!" jack said sternly, still facing Will. "Stop hiding behind my bloody back! You don't have to practice camouflage in the house of a friend!" Jade stalked out from behind Jack's back, to get her first look at the shocked face of Will Turner.
Cool, huh? R&R, please!-Talon
Why didn't I get any rum! You gave Gibbs rum!-Jack
*snickers*-Raven
CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow! Why is that so hard for you????-Jack
Yes, Jack, we know, we know.-Talon
Anyway, why are you making me look soft?? And, for that matter, why wasn't I drinking rum?? Where was all the rum in the story? I can't be in a story without any rum!!
Don't worry Jack, the rum will come soon enough *snickers*-Talon
Whatever, dirty pirate-Raven
I heard that! And it's CAPTAIN Dirty Pirate, or whatever. Savvy?-Jack
Chapter 1 Old friends
"Jack." Gibbs said, taking a swig of rum. Jack rolled his eyes at Gibbs's lack of "Captain". "We all know you're crazy, Jack. And, we all know never to question you. But, why the bloody Earth are we going to port Arthur, when we could be out treasure hunting?" "Never, ever question an insane man, Gibbs." Jack replied, eying the bottle of rum. "We're out of rum, all save for the bottle you're wasting. And besides, Will and Elizabeth just had twins, and I mean to wish them good tidings!" "And, are you taking. . ." "Yes, Gibbs, I'm taking Jade." There was a brief pause, then: "Jack, why do you always drop her off on her own whenever you do anything halfway dangerous? After all, Jack. She's thirteen, practically a woman! You can't shelter her forever!" "Thirteen is an unlucky age, Gibbs." "You never were superstitious about anything, why all of a sudden about this?" Jack was silent for a moment. "I have my reasons. And I seriously doubt she's lived an all too sheltered life. As long as I don't put her in a corset, I think she'll be fine!" "Why haven't you ever told anybody about her? It's like she doesn't exist, except to the crew!" "I have my reasons, Gibbs. Like I said, never question a crazy man! I doubt you'll ever remember that!" "But, why show her off to the Turner's now?" "And that confirms my last statement!" Jack drawled, glaring. Gibbs just shrugged and strolled off, taking another swig of rum. "So, Dad!" Jade Sparrow said one night to the lump of a figure in the bed next to her own. Her father grunted and rolled over in his sleep. "Dad!" Jack didn't respond. Jade reached over and yanked the blankets off of him. "Give 'em back, Jade!" he grunted. "Are you finally going to let me meet somebody new?" Jack grunted again and made a swipe for the blankets. "Not until you answer my question!" "Yes! Now give 'em back, or you won't!" jade grinned and threw the blankets at his face, snuggling under her own warm quilts. Jack sighed and wrapped himself in his covers, warming himself against the chilling spring nights on the sea. He was suddenly regretting his choice to take her. It was all right for a man to dress as a pirate, because not all who dressed as one were one. But anyone with half the sense of Will Turner could guess she was a pirate. She could be hanged, or imprisoned. He couldn't stand to have that happen to her. He may not have truly loved her mother, but he by hell loved Jade!
"Oh, stop it!" he told himself firmly. "It's like Gibbs said! She's not a baby anymore! Heaven knows, her mouth has the experience of my own! And she's been made to swab decks more times than I can count, and, she's got some of the best knots I've ever seen! Yes, she ought to do just fine in the real world, away from this life on ancient decks and tattered sails."
With these comforting thoughts, ones that might not be truly comforting to a normal civilian, Jack forced himself into a deep slumber.
Jack grinned his lopsided grin as he examined Jade's sour expression.
"If I have to wear one of those wretched things, and one of those awful corsets to be a lady, I think I'd rather be a man!"
"Jade, all the women wear them, and, if the situation ever calls for it, you're going to wear a dress!"
Jade's expression grew darker, as she watched the rest of the crew amble into the tavern. Jack grabbed her by the wrist and practically dragged her down the crowded, bustling streets, bumping into someone occasionally, but not bothering to apologize, instead, bothering to relieve them of their heavy wallets that he was sure had to be a burden on them!
Nonchalantly, she rapped his fist on the whitewashed doors of the governer's mansion. The doors swung open, revealing a rosy looking maid, who abruptly screamed and slammed the doors shut. Jade had decided that now was the time to irritate her father.
"Dad! I think she's scared of you!"
"Yes Jade, she is!" He knocked again. No answer.
"Dad, she isn't answering!"
"No Jade, she isn't!"
"Can I go for a swim in the bay?"
"No, Jade, you can't."
"Can I join the crew in the tavern?"
"No, Jade, you can't!"
"Can I do something remotely interesting?"
"No Jade, you can't!"
"Can I climb the rose trellis?"
"No Jade, you can't!"
"Can I break into the house so we don't have to wait out here?"
"No, Jade, that wouldn't be polite!"
"You never taught me to be polite!"
"Just pretend I did, and shut-up, savvy?"
The door finally opened, and abruptly, Jade hid behind her father. She wasn't used to meeting new people, because of her father's crazed paranoia.
"Jack!" an excited voice exclaimed.
"Will!" Jack replied, taking Will's hand. They shook roughly. "I heard about the little ones and had to come over to get a look at them. And I need a new sword, by the way, my old one's rusted." Will chuckled and shook his head. "Well, come in, come in. And I hope this visit will be a long one, since you helped me get back Elizabeth two years ago, you've been in and out constantly!"
"Well, I couldn't leave Jade alone all by herself!" Jack said, taking a step inside. Jade followed, carefully concealing herself behind her father.
"Jade?" Will asked. "Have you finally found yourself a girl?"
"In a manner of speaking. Caroline wasn't the one for me, but the daughter is one helluva good pirate!"
"Daughter?"
"Jade!" jack said sternly, still facing Will. "Stop hiding behind my bloody back! You don't have to practice camouflage in the house of a friend!" Jade stalked out from behind Jack's back, to get her first look at the shocked face of Will Turner.
Cool, huh? R&R, please!-Talon
Why didn't I get any rum! You gave Gibbs rum!-Jack
*snickers*-Raven