REVIEWS: lola: Thank you, but where else would he put her? No, Jack did not kill her family; in fact, he's never been to Privet Springs before. The rest of it, I can't answer, you'll just have to wait and see.
Brink: I'm glad you agree! And thanks, your story is great, too!
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A/N: Here is Merriman Webster Dictionary's definition of whelp, for anyone who's interested: whelp-n: any of the young of various carnivorous mammals (as a dog.) AKA- a child.
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Of True Ghost Stories and A Place to Call Home (Also Known as Chapter Three)
When Jack opened the galley door, Bria stood in the doorway.
"Ready to meet the crew?" he asked, showing a mouthful of gold and silver teeth.
"I saw you earlier, walking down the street, singing an Irish Drinking Song," Bria exclaimed, finally recognizing Jack.
"You did, did you?" asked Jack.
Bria nodded her head yes.
"Well now, that's interesting," replied Jack thoughtfully.
**
"And, that's Cotton. He's a mute, but somehow he trained his parrot to talk for him," finished Jack.
"Spawn of Satan whelp," croaked Cotton's parrot.
Bria looked confused.
"Cotton says welcome to the Black Pearl, child," translated Jack.
"Oh. Thank you, Mr. Cotton, and Mr. Cotton's parrot," said Bria a bit uncertainly.
"Well, let's get on with the story, shall we?" inquired Jack.
"Yes, please," said Bria, eagerly.
"Allright, it all started about ten years ago," said Jack.
**
"And, that's pretty much it," Jack finished his story.
"Can I have a tour of the Black Pearl? I've never been on a once haunted ship before," said Bria.
"Allright," said Jack, "this is the deck, and there's the mast, and some sails…"
**
When they finished the tour, Jack and Bria were pretty much in the same location they had been when they first saw each other.
"You best be gettin' home now. Yer parents will prowl'by getting' worried 'bout you," said Jack.
"My parents are dead. When Barbossa was captain of this ship, he came to Privet Springs, and killed a lot of people, and my parents and brothers were included," said Bria, matter of factly.
"They were?" asked Jack.
"Yes," replied Bria, "two years ago."
"Oh. Where do you live then?" he asked, peering down curiously at Bria.
"The local orphanage," replied Bria, wondering why Jack was so curious all of a sudden.
"Oh. I see. Well, you best better git goin'. I'm sure they'll miss you there," said Jack with a sarcastic tone.
"Can I stay here on the Black Pearl?" asked Bria with a tearful 'puppy dog' look.
Jack was about ready to say no, but one look at Bria's face, and he changed his mind.
"I don't know," he said at last.
This only caused Bria's lower lip to tremble, so with a sigh, Jack said, "I'll tell you wot; I'll talk 'bout it with me crew, and if they say you can stay, then you can stay. But, if they say no, then you have to go back to your orphanage. Do we have an accord?"
"Yes," said Bria, holding out her hand.
"Well, I'm just goin' to go an' talk it over with the crew, then I shall come back here, and tell you wot they say. I want you to stay here, and don't do anything stupid, or out you go," said Jack, shaking Bria's hand.
"Savvy?" he asked.
Bria raised her hand in a salute for response. Satisfied, Jack went to the deck to talk to his crew.
**
On deck, Jack had just explained that Bria wanted to live on the Black Pearl.
"You want her to stay? I thought you said she was the devil incarnate, Jack," said Anamaria.
"Well, I've changed me mind. It appears that I've grown attached to the little whelp," replied Jack.
For once, that answer was enough for Anamaria, for she said nothing in return.
"Bring me the whelp," squawked Cotton's parrot.
"Well, at least someone agrees with me," muttered Jack, looking at Cotton and his parrot.
"It's bad enough we've got one woman on this ship, it'll be worse luck to have two of 'em," protested Gibbs.
"She's not a woman, she's a little girl, Gibbs," said Jack, slightly irritated.
"Well, that means she's a miniature woman, and even the miniature ones are bad luck," scowled Gibbs, "why can't we just send her with her family?"
"Well, if you would care to do the honors, you can go right ahead and shoot her," replied Jack.
"What?" asked Gibbs, who had no knowledge of Bria's parents being killed.
"Her family's dead," said Jack, "Barbossa and his men killed them when he was captain of this ship."
"Oh. Well, she still has a place to call home, does she not? Send her there," Gibbs stubbornly replied.
"An orphanage isn't much of a place to call home, Gibbs. We're not sendin' her back there, savvy?" asked Jack.
"Aye, Cap'n," mumbled Gibbs.
"So if it's allright with the rest of you, I think she should stay and learn all the ways of a pirate, like us," suggested Jack.
This news was met with a chorus of "ayes," from the crew and a "wind in the sails," from Cotton's parrot.
**
After convincing the crew to let Bria stay, Jack went back to where he left the girl.
"Well, I've just had a friendly-like discussion with me crew, and they say you can stay," he told her.
"Oh, thank you so much, Captain Sparrow," cried Bria joyously, hugging said captain.
Jack was more than a little surprised at this display of preteen emotion, but he gave her a hug that was little more than a small pat on the back, anyway.
"I need to get a few things from the orphanage," said Bria, letting go of Jack.
"Things? What kind of things?" asked Jack, curiously.
"Just some…effects," Bria settled on at last.
"Oh, well, you can go and git your effects, then come straight here. Don't take too long," said Jack.
"Right," agreed Bria, running off toward the deck.
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A/N: What are Bria's "effects"? Where did the other orphanage kids go? Why does Jack have a particular dislike for orphanages? Find out in chapter four of "The Proper Deportment of a Lady"! Review!