____________________________________________________________________________ ___ Chapter Two: Old Memories ____________________________________________________________________________ ___

Cleo and Jack were lurking in the shadows of the beach under the battlement when two girls fell in th water a distance away.

"It's rainin' women, 'tis." Jack hollered in glee.

"You idiot!" Cleo muttered and smacked him around the head.

"HEY! Easy there, luv." Jack muttered. "I'm off to save the lovely ladies. Doubt they meant ta fall off a 'igh wall."

"You can't possibly save both of them." Cleo argued.

"Can too." Jack shouted childishly.

"Can not." Cleo responded.

"Can too."

"Can not."

"Can too." During this little fight, the siblings failed to notice Aidan pulling Elizabeth from the water. Elizabeth was spitting water up on Aidan's bare shoulder. Both of them ignored the feuding pirates as Aidan focussed on getting Elizabeth to act with the human's not the fishes. Elizabeth coughed and sat up, blinking.

"Can not."

"Can too."

"Ummmm... Excuse me?" Aidan asked, moving to stand behind them. A startled Cleo and Jack spun to face her. That's when Aidan saw it.

Jack. Long, raven dreadlocks with his trinkets clicking together like music. His well built, tanned muscles flexed at every movement and his deep, chocolate brown eyes bore holes through her soul. It was the man of her dreams and he was standing right in front of her.

Cleo rolled her eyes at how this girl was checking out her brother, but was surprised to find Jack mirroring her. There was something about this girl that piqued her curiosity. Everything about her was different from any Tortugan whore or wealthy Governor's daughter. Everything about her seemed familiar. Her wavy brown hair seemed familiar. Her murky green eyes seemed familiar. Her pale skin seemed familiar. Her tough, but musical voice seemed familiar. Her black pearl necklace seemed familiar.

WAIT! Black pearl necklace? Cleo touched a hand over the lump in her shirt where her own necklace lay. Only herself and one other being had a necklace like this. But what were the chances that this girl in front of her was her best friend since age four? Her best friend was supposed to have been killed during the mutiny when they were thirteen. Ten long years ago.

"That necklace looks familiar." Cleo stated to the girl.

"Oh! This?" Aidan asked, pulling the pearl into her hand. Cleo nodded and checked that her own was well hidden. In the chance that this was not her long missed friend she would not want anyone to know she was here.

"I got this when I turned six." She replied. "As far as I know, only two of these exist. This one and my best friend recieved one as well. My father and her brother gave them to us. It stands for freedom. Well, the Black Pearl stands for freedom. Twas a fine ship. Though, I've no idea what happened to it after the mutiny."

During Aidan's speech, all Cleo could think of was that night, ten years ago.

~~~ It was dark. Almost too dark to see anything beyond your palm in front of your face. Cleo was sitting in the crow's nest next to her best friend. The ship was rocking violently through the storm, but Cleo knew that her older brother, captain of this lovely ship, the Black Pearl, would get them to Tortuga in one piece.

"How are my two best gal's fairing?" Mr. Turner asked, poking his head up over the crow's nest.

"Good, daddy." Aidan cooed. She was always like that when she could get away with it, which mainly meant around her father and occasionally Captain Jack Sparrow, who coddled her to death.

"Aye! We're fine, Mr. Turner." Cleo confirmed as she started to tie knots in the rigging to secure it.

"Well, keep on your toes, girls." Mr. Turner finished and descended.

"The storm's getting pretty bad, Cleo." Aidan muttered and helped her friend knot the ropes.

"No, really?" Cleo snapped.

"Don't you get snipy with me. I was just stating a fact." Aidan growled, going on the defence.

"See, that's the problem with you, Aida." Cleo snarled, clawing at the ropes.

"FLAWS?" Aidan squawked as she stopped tying the ropes. "Some friend you are. Point out all the flaws, why don't you. After all, isn't that what you say I'm full of? Can't be a pirate, can't be a friend. Can't be anything. Why don't you just ignore all the good traits." Aidan barked before she flung herself out of the crow's nest and down the rigging like a professional piratess.

"AIDAN!" Cleo called in frustration.

"What the hell d'ye want?" Aidan snapped up at her best friend.

"Nothing." Cleo sighed.

"Then why in the seven hells did you..." Aidan was cut off as sounds of battle faded in from below.

Cleo heard the unmistakable grunt of her best friend fighting for her life. Without much thought other than to help her friend out, she unsheathed her sword and spun down the rigging.

Sure enough, Aidan was crossing swords with Pintel, the fat, stubby pirate. Ragetti was taking this opportunity of her distraction to close in from behind. Up in the booms and rigging, Jack fought back to back with his best friend and Aidan's dad, Bill Turner. That reminded her that her own best friend needed her at the moment. Back to Aidan. Cleo jumped in and smashed Ragetti in the back of the head with her sword.

"Miss me?" Cleo asked, spinning the stunned pirate to meet her face.

"Was wondering when you'd join us on the side of not so evil." Aidan grunted. She slashed at Pintel, just skimming his gut. When he bent to check his wound, as these stupid pirates did, she slammed the hilt of her sword in his face creating a steady flow of blood from his already crooked nose.

"Thought I'd watch the festivities for a bit." Cleo said, stabbing Ragetti's right eye through. Blood streamed out as he howled in pain. Cleo kicked him in the gut and affectively throwing him over the rail and into the carnivore infested water.

"Seem fun?" Aidan asked, kneeing Pintel in the groin.

"Loads. Why'd you think I joined? To save your useless ass?" Cleo called over her shoulder, flipping Twigg across her knee. She heard a sickening crunch of his spine giving way and threw him over the rail as well.

"Are we the only pirates that wash?" Aidan muttered, flinging Pintel into the ocean. As Kohler stepped up, she grimaced and wiped her filthy hands on her once white pants.

"Apparantly!" Cleo winced. Jacoby ran up, flailing his sword, beard smoking feriously. Cleo kicked him in the gut, making him stumble. Before she could do anymore, however, Aidan shoved Kohler into him and both pirates tumbled over board. Aidan wiped the sweat from her brow with her sleeve and headed over to Cleo, when rough hands grabbed her and flipped her onto their shoulder.

"CLEO!" She hollered, realizing it was Bo'sun's shoulder she was held against. Cleo spun to see her best friend struggling with the taller pirate to free herself.

"AIDAN!" Cleo gasped as two unknown lackeys of the first mate grabbed her up, making her drop her sword. That's when she seen Aidan's lying inches away. On a normal occasion, Bo'sun and any other threat would be a simple spar, but in their current position, no sir.

The two were dragged up to the hull where First Mate Barbossa already had Bill tied up and Jack held captive.

"Ahh! We have company, don't we, Jack?" Barbossa said, prolonging the a's in have and Jack. As he spoke he stepped closer to Aidan and traced her jaw with one grimy finger. She snapped at him, but he continued.

"Don't touch her." Cleo snarled.

"Ahh! Miss Cleo." He said and focussed his attention on the other rogue piratess. Cleo could only take so much, but unlike Aidan, her legs were free, so she kicked the smug man in the groin.

"Bloody 'ell!" He screeched as he slouched over in pain.

"You know better than that, Hector." Aidan spat at him. "Get your grimy paws off me." She snarled at Bo'sun who complied. Cleo shook her arms from the men holding her hostage.

"Listen here, Hector." Cleo snarled.

"You're going to free us, now." Aidan snapped.

"Why'd I do that for you, Ms. Turner?" Barbossa asked.

"Because...Because...Cuz, I know where Isla de Muerta is." Aidan growled.

"Isla de Muerta? You drive a hefty bargain, my dear." Barbossa muttered as he thought it over.

"Aidan, do you know what your doing?" Cleo hissed.

"I have a rough idea." She whispered back.

"This is stupid." Cleo muttered.

"I know. I hope Dad's proud." Aidan murmured, glancing at her father.

"He is. I can tell." Cleo said with a faint smile.

"It's a deal, young Turner. Did anyone ever told you that you are a tad bit stupid?" Barbossa responded.

"Aye! Many." Aidan answered. Barbossa nodded with a smile.

"Throw them Turner's in the brig." He growled.

"Cleo!" Aidan muttered.

"AIDAN!" Cleo responded, as she watched her best friend and her brother's best friend get dragged below deck. ~~~

"Aidan?" Cleo asked, snapping back to reality. The women in front of her squinted a moment then smiled.

"Cleo?" She asked, quizzitively.

"In the flesh." Cleo answered, revealing her own pearl necklace. "Jesus, I thought you were dead?"

"Ya, most people call me Aidan." Aidan responded sarcastically to the Jesus comment.

"Same as ever, aren't you?" Cleo muttered, fondly.

"Why'd I bother changing?" Aidan asked, brushing her moist mop of waves from her face.

"Aidan?" Jack asked. "As in Bill's Aidan?"

"Aye! Hello, Jack." Aidan greeted and was soon enveloped in a warm, pirate's embrace.

"Missed you to, Jack." Aidan chuckled.

"Umm... Excuse me, Aidan, but your brother must think we have drowned." Elizabeth said from behind them.

"Aww! Shit. Will's probably gone to that Floof already." Aidan muttered, pulling away from Jack's strong arms.

"Aidan! Swearing." Elizabeth warned.

"Are you my mother? No!" Aidan muttered before turning back to her friends. "You need a place to stay? Nora, Princess of Floof's isn't to fond of pirates, best you not be spotted."

"Aye! We could use a place ta stay." Jack muttered.

"Well, you best follow me then. If Nora finds you here... Well, let's just say it won't be a picnic." Aidan responded. "Elizabeth, head home before your Daddy dear starts biting off your maid's heads."

"See you later, Aidan. As usual." Elizabeth said as she headed toward the port.

"So... Nora, Princess of Floof's?" Cleo asked as they started to walk toward the smithy.

"Well, you see..." Aidan's voice faded out as they walked off into town.

A little monkey stuck it's head out from the shadow's a screeched. His owner, Hector Barbossa was going to hear from him. ____________________________________________________________________________ ___