Hi ya'll! It's me, the author of Life's A Passing Dream

I'd like to say that I do NOT own anything remotly realted to Pirates of the Caribbean.

Please review you guys and check out Taven Girl from Laraeliae Black. It's a REALLY good story.

I'll try to make sure it's not a mary-sue.

::My Immortal::

The water was deep.



It was too deep, in fact, for Zoha to reach the shimmering top; to emerge from the dark oblivion. I'm dying, she realized as she swallowed more of the salty water.



Zoha Patel was an excellent swimmer, but she was too far from the surface, and so fatigued, that she gave up. It was futile.



She closed her eyes as the water filled her lungs, as she welcomed death with open arms.



Black was all she saw, all she felt, all she knew. She didn't even notice the pair of arms that were around her. She didn't even notice Jack Sparrow pulling her to salvation.

* * *

Zoha's head pounded with each beat of her heart. For a moment she wasn't certain where she was.



Then she opened her eyes.



A blinding light flooded her vision but she was still only vaguely aware that she was outside. She felt horrible.



She turned and vomited. She wiped her mouth hastily with her wrist and looked at her surroundings. She was on a dock, the ocean that had almost killed her to her left.



How had she survived anyway? She remembered blacking out- but that was it. Zoha heard footsteps to her right and turned painfully.



She saw her husband, Ahmed, his three wives, Rana, Noskra, and Yat walking toward her, while a man she didn't know followed behind them; a smug expression on his face.



"Zoha," Ahmed said in his dull voice.



She struggled to her feet slowly. "I'm here," She said in a hoarse voice. Her throat burned and it hurt to talk.



Ahmed stopped a foot away from Zoha and wrapped his arms around her limp shoulder before turning to the man with long black dread locks.



"This is the man that saved your life." He said, smiling at the man, "Bow and thank Captain Jack Sparrow." Zoha looked at her husband and then at the man that had saved her.



He was young, about her age. He had an assortment of beads and bones in his dark hair. He was finely tanned, although not as much as Zoha. She noticed his clothes were stained with rum, sweat, ocean water, and God only knew what else. But when he smiled, exposing his gold teeth, it sent unwelcome shivers down her spine.



Ahmed, clearly annoyed by her hesitation, shook her a bit, "Bow!" he said in Hindi. She did as she was told and knelt down before Jack Sparrow on her hands and knees.



"Thank you," she said, staring at the ground. Someone took her hand.



She looked up in surprise and saw Jack giving her one of his cheeky grins. " 'Tis no meaning fer thankin' me, milady," he said, somewhat gently as he helped her to her bare feet. " 'Twas only the right thing to do."



Jack smiled as his chocolate brown eyes stared into her violent hazel ones. Zoha didn't speak, or move, for a while. It was almost as if she couldn't.



This man, this Jack, actually treated her as an equal. It was always, for as long as Zoha could remember, that women came second.



Zoha finally turned away from Jack and snatched her son from Rana's loose grip. Rana was Ahmed's first wife, the best position, but Zoha didn't admire or respect her at all.



In fact, she hated her.



"How many time must I tell you not to touch Satyavan?!" Zoha asked furiously, shifting Satyavan in her arms. "I told you to leave him with my brother, Narado."



Ahmed, sensing the anger between his two wives, broke in, "Zoha," he droned, "Yat wants to go to the marketplace. Would you like to come?"



She sighed irritably. She had told him last night that she detested going to the marketplace with him. Ahmed never went where she wanted to go, only where Yat, or Noskra, or Rana wished to look.



But what could she expect? Fourth wife was the lowest position. She knew this even before she agreed to marry Ahmed.



And why had she married him? It was certainly not his charm or good looks. It was for his money. Zoha had married Ahmed Patel for his money and he knew it.



She had come from a poor family with no father and she was the youngest of five brothers. Her oldest brother, Narado, was thirty and lived with her, Ahmed, and Ahmed's other three wives. He was suppose to accompany Zoha while Ahmed was away and watch Satyavan when Zoha was not present.



Zoha managed to salvage a sweet smile, her trademark smile. "No, thank you," She said as politely as anyone would want.



Ahmed nodded and then smiled and gestured toward Jack. "I have invited Mr. Sparrow to stay in my manor as long as he likes." Ahmed turned to Jack, "Perhaps you could accompany my wife to our house? She can direct you there,"



Jack grinned at Zoha broadly and it made her shiver. The look of lust in her eyes was overwhelming. She really didn't want to walk home with this man; regardless of the fact that he had saved her life.



"Aye, sir," Jack said as he began walking trward Zoha seductively. "She'll be safe wif me, mate." He said as he turned to Ahmed and bowed slightly.



Shortly after Ahmed's departure, Zoha and Jack made their way to Ahmed's manor. "So that old guy is yer husband?" Jack asked after walking for ten minutes in silence.



"Yes," Zoha said unemotionally.



"And yer name's Zoha and yer only twenty-five?"



"No, I'm twenty-six,"



Jack stopped abruptly, "You bore a child with that old man?"



Zoha stormed ahead of Jack, who now ran briskly to catch up with her. "Satyavan is not Ahmed's son. I adopted him."



"Oh, so that wife that was holding Satyavan is the wife fer kids?"



She shook her head as a slight wind whipped her black hair that she had kept in a pony-tail in front of her. It was spring, but still a bit chilly.



"Each wife has a purpose," Zoha explained, "Rana is first wife-the best position. She is for company. Yat is second wife, she for money. Noskra is the third wife and Ahmed married her for pleasure."



Zoha stopped talking but continued walking, "So what are you?" Jack asked her.



She cringed, "I am fourth wife. The lowest position. I am for childbirth."



Jack didn't say anything until they reached the manor.



" 'E's bloody rich!" Jack noticed as soon as he was Ahmed's manor.



"He is a merchant," Zoha said as she opened the large doors with both hands.

Jack was holding Satyavan, who slept in his arms soundly.