"The Stowaway Bride"

Chapter 1

"The Plan"

You adjust the hem of your skirt as the carriage drives along. You sneak a glance at your big sister, Valerie. Damn her! She was so beautiful with her perfect blonde hair and perfect baby blue eyes and perfect petite body. No wonder she had so many men swooning for her hand in marriage. She looked absolutely riveting in a pale pink dress that hugged her frame small perfectly. Her skin was flawless and a bit golden. She twirled a golden lock of hair around her finger and starred out the carriage window.

You, on the other hand, felt quite the opposite. Your hair was long and most of the time wild and frizzy. Your (your eye color) eyes stood out against your pale face. Your cheeks were rosy as if you were constantly blushing. Your dress, an elegant pale blue, clung to your body that had curves to die for, but you saw this as a mistake since most of the women around you were either terribly thin or terribly fat. All in all, you felt like the ugly duckling in a family of beautiful creatures.

"Ah ha, where here!" cries Valerie as a white mansion appears in view.

You both get out and walk up to the front door. Your sister adjusts her dress and then knocks on the door. A woman with a thick brown bun and beady black eyes answers the door.

"Yes?" she says.

"Um, my sister (your name) and I are here for lunch, Commodore Norrington had invited us," says Valerie.

"Oh yes, right this way," says the woman as she leads you and Valerie in.

She leads you to a dinning room with a large table set with dishes and food. You see Norrington sitting at one end of the table. He gets up and greets Valerie with a kiss to the hand. Then he beams at you.

"Hello, (your name), you look even more beautiful every time I see," he says as he kisses your hand.

"Thank you," you say, blushing a bit.

It wasn't everyday someone commented you after they met your sister. It was like this everyday. You and your sister or you and your parents would have lunch with Norrington. He met you when you went to visit his ex-fiancé, Elizabeth Swann now Elizabeth Turner. Elizabeth was your cousin whom you had not seen since you were younger. She was gorgeous like your sister. Your mother was a blood relative to the Swann's. She too was gorgeous. You felt a bit out of place every time you were with those women who looked like goddesses.

Norrington had grown onto you a bit. Your sister, as usual, flirted with him and dropped interest the minute she found her another man to cling on to. Norrington had admired your intellect that you made you stand out. You and him spent a lot of time together. He shared his stories of travel and more and you enlightened him with your talk of things like books and more. You did feel a bit attracted to him, but he was just too polite and sincere. You felt like someone else is waiting out there for you, but whom? You were thrilled when he asked you to marry him. You felt that he would be your only chance to ever marry, so you accepted. Your parents were pleased. They were proud that at least one daughter would settle down. Your sister's current interest was the local tailor named Hanz who had green eyes and shaggy brown hair.

You took your seat next to him. Your sister sat across from you. You enjoy a quick lunch of mashed potatoes, roasted chicken, salad, and a fine wine. You ate as little as possible, not wanting to look like a pig in front of Norrington or your sister who ate like a rabbit.

"So, shall we go for a quick walk?" asked Norrington as he got up.

Your sister hops up and goes to the door. Norrington offers his arm to you and you take it. All three of you enjoy a walk to the beach. Your sister and Norrington are busy talking about the latest political things while you stare ahead at the docks.

"Hey, what ship is that?" you ask as you spot a ship with tattered black sails.

Norrington turns his head and his eyes narrow.

"The Black Pearl. That bloody Sparrow is back again," he hisses.

You stare at the ship. Elizabeth had told you of an annoying pirate by the name of Jack Sparrow. He had saved her life when she fainted and fell into the water and nearly drowned. The way Elizabeth talked of this man made him sound like a lunatic.

"Come, we must see if he's stirring up any trouble. Oh, how I would love to hang that sorry excuse of a man," says Norrington.

"Well, while you two go check out that Sparrow fellow, I'm going to find Hanz. See you at home, (your name)," says Valerie.

You follow Norrington to the ship. He unlinks his arm from yours and steps in front of you. He peers up at the ship and calls out.

"Captain Sparrow!" he yells.

A few drunken men look over the side.

"Hey Captain! Commodore Norrrington's here!" yelled a man.

"Oy?" a faint voice replies.

A man appears. You can see has long raven black hair adorned with beads and dreadlocks. He has a red bandana wrapped around his head.

"Great," you hear him mutter.

He climbs down a rope ladder and lands in front of Norrington. You see better that he has deep brown eyes lined with kohl. He is a wearing a dirty white shirt with large sleeves and ripped pants with black boots. A sword dangles at his side as well as a flask.

"Hello Commodore! What brings ya to me ship?" the man asks.

"Sparrow, what are you doing back at Port Royal?" hisses Norrington.

"Please we all be friends here, call me Jack," says Jack. "I just be here to collect some supplies and visit me good friends Will and Elizabeth."

Norrington shoots daggers with his eyes at Jack. Jack flashes a smile. You see a few golden teeth glint in the sunlight. Jack looks over Norrington's shoulder and sees you.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" he says as he passes Norrington and walks up to you.

You try not to be nervous, seeing this Jack Sparrow is very handsome. Norrington spins around. Jack extends his hand.

"Captain Jack Sparrow," he says.

"(Your full name)," you say as you extend your hand.

Jack takes it and kisses it.

"Say, ya look a bit like Elizabeth," he says.

"Oh, she's my cousin. We're both 23, but she's a few months older than me," you say.

Jack smiles and turns to a fuming Norrington.

"Can't get enough of them Swann women, can't ya?" he asks.

"Quiet, Sparrow," hisses Norrington.

"What ya doin' hanging out with him for, lass?" Jack asks you.

"She's my fiancé," Norrington answers for you.

Jack whispers to you, "I feel sorrow for ya."

You giggle.

"I expect you're to be leaving soon?" hisses Norrington.

"Yes, yes, sadly. Tomorrow," says Jack.

"Good," says Norrington. "Sadly, though, I will not be there to see you depart. I'm leaving tomorrow for a few weeks for a very important trip to Paris."

Jack smiles.

"Hey, maybe we run into each other!" says Jack. "Then we can have a party! Drinks all around!"

"Then maybe I can sink your ship and feed you to the sharks," you hear Norrington mutter. "Come, (your name), let us leave."

"Goodbye, Mr. Sparrow," you say.

"Please, call me Jack. I hate to see a fine lass like you getting married to a prick like Norrington." he whispers. "He'll be glad to know I'll be returning in a few weeks.

Jack winks at you and boards the Pearl. You walk home with a funny feeling as if you were dizzy or something. Norrington gives you a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I'll see you in a few weeks. I'll try to write you," he says.

"All right, goodbye!" you say.

You were busy thinking of a certain pirate when your sister returns home. She sees you grinning like a gorilla in a banana patch.

"Did you have a wonderful time with Norrington?" she asks you.

You don't hear her. She waves a hand in your face.

"Hello? Anyone home?" she says.

You snap out of a daydream.

"Hmm? What?" you say.

"I ask if you had a nice time with Norrington," your sister says.

"Oh, yeah. Nice time," you say.

You walk up to the window in your bedroom and peer out toward the docks. You see the Black Pearl gleaming in the moonlight.

"Norrington's leaving tomorrow for a trip," you say.

"Are you going to bid him farewell?" you sister asks.

"No, he will be leaving very early in the morning," you say.

You sister walks up to you and peers out the window.

"Hanz and I broke up, but luckily Jeremy was there to comfort me," she says.

You cock an eyebrow at her.

"Jeremy as in the bar keeper? How long had you and Hanz been dating?" you ask.

Your sister sighs.

"Three days," Valerie says.

"The longest I've know you to have a man," you say.

She stares at you with a shocked look.

"Whatever does that mean?" she asks.

"Well, I mean that you are with one guy one day and with another the next. Can't you just settle for one?" you say.

"Now see here, just because your engaged doesn't mean you can pick on me. You can't tell me you've never had feelings for another man," she says.

You think about this for a moment.

"Well, have you?" she asks.

You bite your lip and look at the Pearl.

"Well, maybe," you say.

Valerie's eyes grow big.

"Excellent! I promise I won't tell if you tell me who it is," says Valerie.

"Well, I only really met him today, but God he's so handsome! He has these captivating brown eyes as dark as ebony outlined in kohl. His clothes are rugged and his hair as dark as a raven's wing is adorned in beads and dreadlocks," you say, practically drooling.

"Woah, this man sounds incredible! Who is he?" asks Valerie.

"Jack Sparrow," you say sheepishly.

"As in Captain Jack Sparrow, the pirate that Norrington hates with a passion?" says Valerie.

You nod your head.

"You're such a flirt, you know that," says Valerie.

"Me? Look at you!" you shout.

Valerie begins to dance around and sing.

"My sister is engaged to Commodore Norrington, but her eyes are set upon a pirate man. His name is Jack Sparrow, a handsome and odd fellow!"

You give her a shove and giggle.

"Stop that! Mom or dad will hear! Besides, we hadn't ever met until today. No one can fall for someone that quickly," you say, clambering over to your bed.

"You'd be surprised," you hear Valerie say as she blows out the light from the oil lamp.

"Night (your name)."

"Night Valerie."

You think about what she said. Sure, Jack was handsome, but what really grabbed your attention was the fact that he was a pirate. That meant he lived many adventures and has seen probably almost everything in the world. You would love to do such a thing, travel the world and see everything, or at least get away from Port Royal for once. The only time you ever traveled was when you came by ship to Port Royal from London three years ago. Just a little adventure wouldn't hurt, would it? You were to be married in a few weeks and then what? Surely then you wouldn't be able to leave the house let alone Port Royal. You began to form a plan in your head.