Chapter 6 - Guests, Family and Strange Men

~~~~~~~~~~ATTENTION~~~~~~~~~~ Chapter 1 has been slightly altered. Please reread it so that the time order of things in later chapters makes sense.

Disclaimers: I do not own POTC or any of the characters from the movie. I only own the things that were not in the movie. I am not making any money, so please do not sue me.

Rating: R for sexual content, magic, and slight language.

{ } - indicates mind talking. / /- means personal thoughts.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ *Author's note: This first part is a little information that I thought you would like to know so that the story makes more sense. It will come into play in later chapters. *

Jennifer had grown up in Tortuga. Her father, Liam, had originally owned the Coyote Tavern. He had built it with money he made from being a pirate. One day, when was ten, her father came home from being at see for about six months. With him there was a little boy named Jack, who was about two years old. The boy's father, Alexander, had been apart of Liam's crew and had been killed in a raid on a Spanish ship. The child's mother had died giving birth, so his father had raised him on the pirate ship. Normally children weren't allowed on pirate ships, but Liam and Alex had been friends for a long time, so Liam allowed the child to stay.

When Alex died, Liam decided that it would be best if Jack lived in Tortuga with Jennifer and her mother. So, Jack and Jennifer had grown up together. When Jennifer was twelve her mother died of the flu, leaving Jen to take care of four year old Jack and run the Coyote. He father didn't like this at all, so he asked Dylan, who was one of the crew members, if he would like to run the Coyote. Dylan, who was twenty-four, had been wanting to move back to land and eventually have a family. For five and a half years he had helped Jennifer care for Jack and take care of the tavern. When Jennifer's father stopped in Tortuga for a week to stock up on supplies and visit his daughter, Dylan asked him for Jennifer's hand in marriage. Her father had said that they could marry if it was something Jennifer wanted and that she had to be eighteen first. When Dylan asked Jen to marry him she had all but screamed in her excitement, she did however leap into his arms and cry. Three months later her father came back and they were married. Jack was ten.

When Jack turned sixteen, he was allowed to go back to Liam's ship as a part of the crew. Jack was good at being a pirate. All of the crew liked and trusted him. Several of them had commented to the captain that he had come a long way from the boy he had been. A year and seven months after joining the crew, the first mate was killed and Jack got the job. Most of the other pirates were happy about this, except for one man who thought that he deserved the position of first mate. Although he secretly hated Jack, he pretended to be his friend and Jack was still to young to see through the façade, which in the future will hurt Jack. Anyways, Five months later, Liam was killed; Jack took his body back to Tortuga to be buried. Since Jack was the first mate, the responsibility of captain was given to him and he loved it. He loved his ship, his crew and his life. That is, until he was betrayed two years later by his first mate, who just happened to be the same man who Jack stole the position of first mate from, Barbossa.

When Jen's father died, Dylan and she became the owner's of the Coyote Tavern. Because Jennifer had pretty much raised Jack since he was two and Dylan had been there from the time Jack was four, they were like his parents. The reason that Jack sent Akiva to Dylan and Jennifer was because they were so close, he knew that they would protect and take care of Akiva. That is how we have arrived where we are. Now on with the story.

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When Akiva came to, the first thing she saw was the very worried looking face of Jennifer. As she looked around, she realized that she was lying on the floor.

"What happened?" She asked in a confused voice.

"You passed out sweetie." Jen answered her. She held out her hand to Akiva and helped the stunned girl to her feet. Jennifer walked Akiva to the seat she had been sitting in and offered her a cup of coffee.

Akiva accepted the cup and took a small sip. For a moment, she just sat there looking at the tabletop. Slowly she lifted her head and looked at their guest who was again sitting down.

"Jack, what are you doing here?" She asked. She had no clue as the pirate was visiting, but she suspected she would find out soon.

"Well, I tend to go were I'm not expected, and I gather from the look on your face that you weren't in fact expecting me. That's why I'm here." Jack stated in an amused voice. He was smiling like a clown and waving his hands around, punctuating his words.

"That's why you're here?" Akiva responded with disbelief evident in her voice. She glanced towards Jennifer with a look that said, 'Yeah, I believe him, not.' Jen just looked back at Akiva and smiled. She knew exactly what Akiva was thinking. It was the same thing she would be thinking, were she in Akiva's shoes. She would be thinking 'what is he up to and how long am I going to have to wait till I find out?

"Jack, stop acting like you are five again." Jennifer said in slight amusement.

"Well," Jack began but Akiva quickly cut him off.

"How would you know how Jack acted when he was five?" She asked confused, "Did I miss something while I was unconscious?"

"I'll explain later. Right now, I need to go out front and open up." Jennifer answered.

When Akiva moved to got up Jennifer stopped her by telling her that she had the day off and not to worry about anything. She also informed her that the tavern would be closing early and that they were going to have some friends over in honor of Akiva's birthday. Jen then went out front and left Akiva and Jack to themselves.

"So,' Akiva said, not sure what she was supposed to do, "Do you want something to eat? I'm not the best cook, but I could make something.' She asked Jack.

"No, luv, I'm fine." He answered. "How have you been?" Jack inquired.

For the next several hours Akiva and Jack discussed how their lives were going and what they had been up to. Akiva told him how Jennifer had taken her shopping the first day and how Jen and Dylan had both been treating her like a daughter. Jack told Akiva about the ship and the crew and about how four months ago Anna-Maria had been killed in a really bad storm. She had been hit in the side by a sharp piece of broken wood, had lost her grip on one of the ropes she had been tying down and had been swept off the ship by a very large wave. Akiva was saddened by this news. She had liked Anna. The woman had been very helpful to Akiva while she was on the Pearl. Jack also told her how he had practically been raised by Jennifer and Dylan and how Jen's dad had taught him a lot of what he knew about being a pirate.

Later that day Akiva went to help Jennifer in the tavern. Both Dylan and Jen tried to protest but Akiva said that it was her birthday and that she was bored and wanted to work. After a little bit of convincing Jen let Akiva help. Jack left about ten minutes later. Around seven that night, Akiva, Jen and Dylan kicked everyone out. Jack came back around sever thirty, as did the people they had invited. Akiva was truly surprised that so many people cared about her. Until about one in the morning they talked, drank, and generally had a good time. After everyone went home, Jack went to bed in one of the spare rooms, Dylan also went to bed and Jen and Akiva stayed up till four in the morning talking about everything and anything.

Three days later, a man came in and walked up to the counter. He was about six feet tall, had blond hair and brown eyes. He was tanned and fit.

"I am looking for a young woman," He started, "I was told she would be here. She is around eighteen, has red hair, green eyes, she is probably much shorter then me, well she used to be. Have you seen her?" He finished.

"He has," answered Akiva, she had been standing off to the side and observing the man. She thought that he looked familiar, but she couldn't figure out from where she knew him. "Who are you?" She asked.

"Don't you recognize me? I watched you when you were little. The day before your birthday, I went off to the near by town to try to get some things that we needed. When I came back everyone was dead. I looked for you everywhere Ptichka, but I couldn't find you. I have been searching ever since." The man stopped talking because he was starting to tear up. He loved Akiva like a little sister, which in a way she almost was. Whenever her father had left whatever camp they were at, he would watch over her during the day while her mother did the things she had to do. He hadn't thought that he would ever find her.

For a moment Akiva could not recall who the man was. Then something sunk into her mind. He had called her Ptichka. It meant 'My little bird.' Only three people had ever called her that, her mother, father and older cousin, all of whom she had thought dead. / "It can't be him. Everyone was killed. I saw it. Or did I? Did I ever see his body? No. I just assumed."/ She thought to herself.

The man saw the doubt and shock in her eyes. He knew that she was trying to decide whether he was lying or not. So many emotions were playing across her face and in her eyes. Doubt, fear, hope and joy were just a few. For a moment she didn't speak. No one did. They all were just watching to see what would happen. Finally she spoke.

"Conner?"

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So? How was it? Was it ok or did it totally suck? Please review. Sorry about the whole 'people showing up at the end of the chapter' again. I will try to not do it again.

REVIEW RESPONSE

Thank you to everyone who reviewed.

This is a response to a review from ~Behold the Crazed Fiend~ who wrote: "umm...this really needs a lot of work. and gypsies are not warriors or anything. they're more likely to stick a knife in a person's back. they're a clannish folk, and will, to put it bluntly, get rid of anyone that threatens them.but story-wise..it needs major work. your character isn't built up; it feels like she doesn't have a believable personality. your sentences don't flow. reading this is like sailing on choppy waters; tends to make one seasick. do not mess around with dialect if you don't know how to. you should build up the plot more. your beginning is so in depth, and yet akiva and jack end up in bed by the fourth chapter; which would be understandable if the chapters were longer. and last but not least, your tense changes. you shift from present tense to past. ("Jack slowly got out of the bed and walked toward her. When he sees her move further into the corner he stops walking and just stands there looking at her.") still don't know how to handle this kids' stuff? pretty pathetic for a 17 year old, if you ask me."

~ OK first off, I NEVER said that gypsies were fighters. If they were don't you think that they would have been able to defend them selves against the attack in ch.1? Duh!

Second, this is my first fanfic EVER and is therefore a work in progress.

Third, clannish isn't a word.

Forth, You need to work on your capitalization.

Fifth, thank you for pointing out that my beginning is in depth.

Sixth, they slept in the same bed they did NOT HAVE SEX! Big difference sweetie. Also, they had just shared something really personal.

Seventh, the only time I have to write is really later at night when my brain is all but shutting down, so forgive me if my tenses and grammar bite. Considering that I am a Junior in high school and have written college level papers and gotten 100's on them, I really couldn't care less about grammar and that crap in this. It is for fun, not a grade. Do I need to say anymore? I don't think so.

~Ponti~ thank you.

~Jenn~ Thank you also and I will update as often as possible.

~born-diva~ Thank you for being a loyal reader. Email me when you update again.

I would have written more, but it is one in the morning and I have been up since six, so I need to go to bed. I am working on keeping everything in on tense, but when you are half asleep, it kinda gets confusing. Anywayz, isn't amazing what the mind comes up with when you are really tired? Night people.

Rose

P.S. Hi Abby. What do you think?