Title: Learning to Live
Rating: PG Warnings: Perhaps some mild swearingDisclaimer: No, as much as I wish I did, I do NOT own 'Pirates of the Caribbean'... all the credit must go to Disney. Believe me, if I owned Jack I wouldn't have much time for writing stories wink :D ...I do own Sierra though... and Port Callea and pretty much anyone/anything you don't recognise from 'Pirates'.
A/N: Yay! My first PotC fic on Fanfiction! I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. If you do, then you have the amazing Johnny Depp to thank for my inspiration! Please review and tell me what you think- Constructive criticism and comments/suggestions are welcome... flames are just evil!
To begin with, I understand that Sierra may seem like a bit of a Mary-Sue character. Trust me, there's a little thing called Character Development so just give her a chance, OK?
Thank You and enjoy! xxx
Chapter Dedication: This first chapter is dedicated to two people:
- My BEST mate, Emma, (aka: Dudette2004)... for reading all my stories before ANYONE else and being so lovely about them!- Oh, and for sharing my
'Pirates'/Johnny Depp obsession!
- My great mate, Heva, (aka: Rowan Arkenson- read her stuff!)... even though she
Probably won't read this! - For bothering to beta my previous stories and posting this one for me when I couldn't. Thanks.
CHAPTER 1: Kidnapped
Sierra Meghan Saljero stood before the ornate, gold mirror that covered at least a quarter of the far wall to her grand bedroom. Being the only daughter of the governor of Port Callea definitely has its advantages, the young woman thought to herself as she absently ran a large, silver hairbrush through her long, curly, raven-black hair. Sierra was the only child of Governor Peter Saljero of Port Callea, one of the many shipment settlements that spanned the Spanish Main. At twenty-one years of age, Sierra was, as of the moment, single; though her father was eager to see his daughter marry a man of much propriety and enjoyed constantly introducing her to appropriate candidates.
Locking eyes with her own reflection in the mirror, Sierra thought over the prospect of marriage; without being vain, she knew many men would be delighted to be chosen as her husband. She was what many would call 'beautiful'…with her flowing hair the colour of midnight, and her large, turquoise eyes that shimmered emerald and tanned complexion from a childhood spent beneath the warm rays of the Caribbean sun.
Though it was expected of the governor's daughter, Sierra couldn't help feeling reluctant at the idea of her father choosing the man that she was to spend her life with.
As improper and fictional as it was, Sierra had always been fascinated in the idea of true love; something she had only read about in the many books she used to occupy her time.
Turning from the mirror, she made her way over to the large mahogany book-shelf that stood against the opposite wall. Carefully, Sierra pulled from the shelf a thick, brown volume. In gold inscription along the spine of the book were the words: 'The Pirates of the Spanish Main.' This was the favourite of all her books; it had been given to her by her grandfather along with three others a few months before he passed away. Sierra had read the book seven times in total and could quote her favourite chapters perfectly; she was certain that the governor would be uncomfortable with his daughter's interest in a book purely about pirates and this was the soul reason that he knew nothing about it. Sierra had full knowledge that pirates were looked upon by people of propriety as 'the scum of the seas' to put it bluntly, but she herself had always had a strong fascination in the 'creatures', as her father insisted on calling them. There was definitely something extremely compelling about the idea of full freedom, no limits and an open horizon. There was something about the adventure and anarchy of piracy that sparked the fire and lust for real life in Sierra's personality that high society kept forced behind uncomfortable corsets and fake decorum.
She knew she was lucky, with a loving mother and father, a very high standard of living and the prospect of marriage to a well respected man – but part of her craved rebellion, the chance to free herself from rules and restrictions and to let go.
Sierra lifted the cover of the book in her hands and slipped out from under it a folded letter; it was from her cousin Elizabeth Swann, whose father was governor of the nearby island Port Royal. She had received the letter three days before and it told of an amazing adventure of Elizabeth's in which she had encountered many pirates, been rescued by a blacksmith who she was soon to marry and sailed with the Captain Jack Sparrow- one of the most famous and fearsome pirates that Sierra had ever read about. Her cousin's escapades gave Sierra a ray of hope: if Elizabeth could have an adventure and marry her true love then perhaps events like these did not just occur in stories.
As she made to unfold the letter, Sierra was halted by a loud bang that assaulted her eardrums but did not cause any vibration to the house. The sound was recognisable as one thing alone: cannon fire. Still clutching her book and Elizabeth's letter, Sierra ran to the window and peered out into the late evening. The sky was navy blue and the still water of the bay was slowly turning darker as the night progressed. Stood proudly in the harbour, illuminated by the moonlight, was a ship that made Sierra gasp. It was unmistakably a pirate ship with large, black sails that were furling in the sea-breeze. The ship was of dark, brown wood, stained with years on the ocean, and flying from the top of the main mast was a black pirate-flag emblazoned with a white skull and crossed blades.
Suddenly, Sierra heard footsteps and before she could move the bedroom door was flung open and two people entered: two pirates. The first was a man with a pistol in hand; he had short, grey hair and long sideburns. The second was a woman with dark skin and long, black hair pulled of her face with a sandy-beige bandana; both were dressed in the traditional pirate's scruffy shirt, trousers and boots and had swords and daggers in their belts. Yells could be heard from downstairs; apparently the servants had noticed the break-in.
"'ere she is!" The woman spoke, drawing her sword and pointing it at Sierra, who was stood frozen by the window- her eyes flicking from one pirate to the other in apprehension.
"Don' hurt 'er, Ana," the man warned, looking nervously towards the open door as the volume of the shouts downstairs increased. "We been given our orders not ta 'arm a soul on this 'ere island an' I'm not abou' ta let ya disobey the capt'n."
"The capt'n also likes tradition, Gibbs, an' it's tradition on a raid ta kidnap the governor's daughter." Ana replied firmly.
Sierra's eyes went wide from a mixture of fear and wonder.
"Alrigh'." Gibbs seemed to be trying to decide quickly what to do. The noises downstairs were much louder now and there was the sound of doors slamming as the servants searched the house. "Get 'er out 'o here quick... I'll grab the loot... Go!" Footsteps could be heard on the stairs and Sierra dropped the book and letter in her hand with a thud as Ana grabbed her wrists forcefully and shoved her towards the window.
"Climb." The female pirate growled, her sword tip on Sierra's neck. "Ya try ta run away an' I'll skewer ya!"
Heart thudding in her chest, Sierra pushed open the window, swung herself out and began to climb down the thick vines that grew up the south-wall of the governor's mansion; she had climbed from her bedroom window many times throughout her childhood but never, she had to say, in a situation quite like this one.
No sooner had Sierra's feet touched the ground, Ana swung down beside her and caught her wrists again.
A few moments later, Gibbs dropped down himself, clutching a leather pouch that was bursting with, no doubt, stolen valuables.
"Good work, Gibbs." Ana nodded to the man.
"Aye," Gibbs grinned back, "now quick!'
A moment later, Sierra was being pulled hurriedly towards the docks. The governor's daughter gasped as the ship loomed before her; never in her life had she seen anything that had such an aura of grandness, mystery and untold secrets… It had an air of experience surrounding it, as though it had survived many storms.
Ana and Gibbs led Sierra up the gangplank, across the rough deck and below it to the largest and least battered of the cabin doors that lined the main passage.
Ana raised a fist and rapped strongly on the solid wood.
"Aye?" Came a curious shout from inside. "Who ye be?"
Ana rolled her dark eyes. "It's us 'o course ya mangy-"
"Gibbs an' Anamaria, capt'n," Gibbs said, cutting Ana off. She glared at him.
There was a moment's pause before the cabin door was pulled open to reveal a man stood in the doorway.
Sierra surveyed the figure before her; he was of about the average male height – a good few inches taller than herself. His longish, dark-brown hair was braided, beaded and generally dishevelled, and pulled off his face with a red bandana. He wore a tatty off-white shirt, brown trousers and boots. His sleeves were pushed up to just above the elbow exposing tanned skin; around the captain's right wrist was wrapped a strip of thick, black, frayed material below an unmistakable pirate-brand, no doubt courtesy of the East India Trading Company, and above that, a tattoo. It was this tattoo that caught Sierra's attention as she eyed the man, leaning casually against the doorframe; it was a picture of a sparrow in flight over ocean waves, a sun setting in the background. The tattoo was intricately beautiful and as revealing as a signature, for only one man bore it.
Sierra gasped. "Jack Sparrow…" she breathed, looking into his face. He was certainly good-looking: he was grinning slightly showing several glinting gold-teeth as his eyes watched her. Those eyes. They were kohl-lined and the colour of dark-chocolate; their depth was astounding – as deep as the ocean and as dark as the night.
"It'll be Captain Jack please, luv," Jack replied, still leaning on the doorframe. His voice was somewhat mysterious, as if he only spoke a fraction of what was running through his mind and, of course, his accent and use of language was purely pirate. "An' who might ye be, lass?"
"Sierra Saljero." Sierra answered, not taking her curious eyes off the pirate captain.
"She's the governor's daughter, capt'n." Gibbs added quickly.
"Are ya now?" Jack raised his eyebrows, Sierra nodded. "I didn't order ye ta kidnap the governor's daughter."
"It was Ana's idea, capt'n." Gibbs pointed to the female pirate who gave him a death glare.
"Aye." Jack nodded, eyes flicking to Ana. Suddenly the sound of heavy footsteps thudded on the deck above them. "Crew's back... did all go accordin' ta plan?"
"Aye." Ana grinned proudly. "Looted th' entire place... not a single shot fired!"
Jack returned her grin before moving his eyes back to Sierra.
"Ya wan' us ta lock 'er in th' brig capt'n?" Gibbs questioned, Jack thought for a moment before shaking his head.
"No, I'll take 'er from 'ere," he replied, placing a hand on Sierra's shoulder, Ana released her wrists. "Miss Saljero, these 'ere are Gibbs an' Anamaria. Sorry fer any inconvenience they 'ave caused ya." Gibbs shuffled uncomfortably and Ana scowled at the captain. "Ya shall be stayin' with me... Gibbs, Ana, thank ye, now up on deck with ya! There's work ta be done!"
"Aye, capt'n." Gibbs nodded before him and Ana disappeared above deck.
Jack continued to eye Sierra for a moment before he stepped back and motioned for her to enter the cabin. Cautiously, she stepped inside and looked around the place; it was a relatively large cabin with a bed in the far corner – covered with scruffy, brown sacking, an old chest of draws, and three or four desks scattered with odd objects and maps lining the opposite wall. The air in here smelled like the rest of the ship: the scent of the salty-ocean and rum.
"Sit there, lass." Jack gestured to an old, wooden chair that stood against one of the desks. Sierra nodded and lowered herself carefully into the chair, suddenly aware that she was wearing nothing more than a thin, white nightgown. "I s'pose Ana 'ad 'er reasons fer bringin' ya aboard?"
"She said it was tradition." Sierra told the captain shakily. She was, of course, as afraid as any woman would be after being dragged out of her house and taken aboard a pirate ship captained by the, supposedly, most fearsome pirate ever to sail the seven seas.
Jack nodded. He walked over to a small chest beside the bed and pulled from it two bottles of rum, offering one to Sierra who accepted it warily, and held the other to his own lips, taking a large swig before speaking again.
"Well, luv, I wasn't intending on kidnappin' on this raid but now yer 'ere, I guess what's done is done."
Sierra's eyes went wide. "What do you mean? You're not going to let me go?"
Jack chuckled softly, taking another swig of rum. "Now wha' good would tha' do me, lass? You'll fetch a nice ransom."
Sierra looked panicked for a moment before frowning angrily at the captain. "You've already ransacked the island, Mr. Sparrow, now you intend to take their money too?"
"That's Captain, luv," Jack replied casually, "an' we're pirates... We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot-"
"-We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot." Sierra finished, sighing sadly.
Jack raised his eyebrows at her curiously. "Y'know the song?" he questioned.
"Yes," Sierra replied, looking up at him. "My cousin Elizabeth taught it to me when we were children."
Jack raised his eyebrows even further. "Elizabeth? Elizabeth Swann?"
"Yes." Sierra nodded, remembering that Jack had, indeed, met Elizabeth not long ago.
"Well, lass, yer full o' surprises aint ya? Now, I'll expect you'll be needin' somethin' ta wear...ya don' wanna go walkin' aroun' a pirate ship wearin' jus' that, if ya catch my drift."
Sierra blushed slightly before a thought occurred to her. "How long will it be before I can go home? My father will pay any price you ask."
"Aye, luv, but I'll need ta dock in Tortuga and see if I can find us someone willing ta pay Port Callea a visit an' inform them 'o yer whereabouts...so I'd guess you'll be on this 'ere ship fer a while yet, savvy?"
Sierra nodded in defeat, knowing she'd get nowhere by arguing. Instead, she uncorked her bottle of rum and sniffed the amber liquid suspiciously before taking a sip and cringing at the strong taste. "Yuck! It's horrible."
Jack grinned and took another huge gulp from his own bottle. "Ya get used ta it, trust me... now, lass, there'll be some o' Ana's ol' clothes fer ye in those draws there." He nodded towards the chest of draws. "When yer changed, meet me on deck an' we'll decide wha' ta do with ya... savvy?"
Sierra nodded in reply and watched the captain leave the cabin, closing the door behind him. Sighing, Sierra walked across the room and opened one of the draws, taking from it a tatty, off-white shirt and a pair of dull, faded grey trousers. She changed into the new clothes and noticed that they fitted relatively well – Ana must be pretty much the same size as her. Sierra spotted a pair of old, brown boots and slipped them on as well before leaving the cabin and heading for the main deck.
Jack was stood at the helm, still gulping his rum and staring out onto the ocean; the ship had just left Port Callea and they were now sailing on open sea, heading for Tortuga. Feeling a presence behind him, Jack turned and saw Sierra stood on the deck. He raised his eyebrows at her; she certainly looked different dressed in men's clothes, almost pirate-like, and there was definitely a glint of piracy in those beautiful turquoise eyes.
"Alrigh' there Miss... sorry, what's yer name again, luv?"
"Saljero. Sierra Meghan Saljero," Sierra replied. She smiled slightly. "No-one can ever remember my surname."
"Meghan?" Jack grinned slightly. "Yer middle name's Meghan?"
"Yes…" Sierra frowned curiously. "What's so strange about that?"
"Nothin', lass." Jack shook his head. "Jus' it means 'pearl'."She shrugged slightly, not quite understanding what that had to do with anything. Jack didn't explain. He took a drink of rum and looked out at the tumbling waves.
Sierra followed his gaze before a thought occurred to her:
"Captain Sparrow?" she asked, frowning slightly. "You said that you and your men raided Port Callea without firing a single shot, but I heard cannon fire."
"Warning shot, luv. Needed ta let 'em know we'd arrived did I not?" He shrugged casually. Sierra nodded in understanding. "Now, Miss Saljero, you been on a ship b'fore?"
'Well...' Sierra thought for a moment. "Once when my parents and I sailed out here from England, but I was still very young.'
"Aye, well, I'll give ya a choice, luv." He turned his eyes to her again. "I can either show ya ta yer cabin an' ya can get some sleep or ya can help out 'ere above deck an' sleep later."
"I'll help out above deck," Sierra answered immediately. Any tiredness she may have felt earlier had disappeared and she was eager to experience pirate life – apprehensive excitement was surging through her veins.
Jack surveyed her for a moment before nodding. "Alrigh'. I'll get Ana ta teach ya a few things... ANA!"
"Aye, capt'n?" Ana had appeared at Sierra's side and was eyeing her new clothes, a look of astonishment on her face.
"I wan' ye ta show Miss Saljero 'ere aroun' the ship... teach 'er a bit an' give 'er some work ta do, savvy?"
"Aye, sir." Ana nodded.
"Well, lass, I'll be seein' ya later. If ya need anythin' give me a shout." And with that, Jack turned and ran across deck, disappearing behind the main mast.
"Alrigh' then, miss, what am I ta be callin' ya?" Ana asked Sierra as they watched Jack leave.
"Sierra will be fine...er...?"
"It's Anamaria, Sierra, but jus' Ana will do," the female pirate told her. "Now, I'm s'posed ta be showin' ya aroun' this 'ere ship.'
"What's it called?" Sierra asked Ana as she followed her across the main deck.
"The ship?" Ana asked. Sierra nodded. "This 'ere is The Black Pearl: the fastest ship in the Caribbean!"
"The Black Pearl…" Sierra whispered to herself. She'd read about this ship, and she suddenly realised why Jack had pointed out to her that the name 'Meghan' meant 'pearl'; she had the same name as his ship, or middle name more specifically.
"Best pirate ship ya could wish ta sail on." Ana grinned.
"Ana?" Sierra asked as they made their way below deck. "Captain Sparrow…is he really as fearsome as they make him out in the books?"
"Books?" Ana questioned. "Please don't tell me people 'ave actually written books 'bout 'im." Sierra nodded. "Don' tell 'im whatever ya do... his ego certainly doesn' need inflatin' any more, an' as fer ya question, it depends what ya mean by fearsome...he's an amazin' man ta be sure."
"An amazing man?" Sierra raised her eyebrows. "I got the impression before that you didn't like him."
"Oh, I like 'im well enough," Ana replied. "He's an arrogant, womanizing scallywag but there's no denyin' he's an amazin' man. He escaped a brush with the East India Trading Company with no more than a brand, he's been marooned on the same island and got away twice, he's sacked two ports without firing a single shot, he got his ship back off a crew of bloodthirsty, immortal pirates an' he's escaped the noose more times than ye can count. An' he's still not tha' old ta boot!"
Sierra stood listening, her mouth hanging open in a somewhat unladylike manner. She'd obviously only read less than half the adventures of the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow – just how much had this man done?
They were below deck now and Ana stopped outside a cabin door, opening it to reveal a fairly tidy, spacious room.
"This 'ere is the spare cabin so I'm guessin' it'll be yers," Ana told Sierra. "I got my own as well." She pointed left to a similar door. "The capt'n's got one too 'o course." She motioned down the passage to the cabin Sierra had been into earlier. "An' Gibbs an' the crews' sleepin' quarters are 'ere." She tapped another wooden door to the right before continuing down the passage, Sierra followed close behind.
"It's all doors!" The governor's daughter exclaimed as she looked around.
"Aye, Sierra, it's a ship; there's not all tha' much room fer anythin' else!" Ana smiled, stopping beside yet another wooden door; but this one was noticeably different to the others. It was larger with a thick, brass keyhole and various bolts and hatches. Ana lowered her voice and spoke again. "This is where the hoards are kept...no-one but the capt'n is allowed in 'ere; he's got the key." She turned and gestured further down the passage. "The kitchens are down there, an' the galley...now, let's get back on deck, there's work ta be done!"
They re-traced their own footsteps and were soon on the main deck again. Early morning was setting in and the sky and sea were steadily lightening as the moon faded and the sun prepared to rise.
"This 'ere's filthy!" Ana complained, scuffing the side of her boot across the wooden planks before raising her voice and calling, "Gibbs, mate, could ya get us a bucket? The deck's in need o' a good scrubbin'!"
"Aye, Ana, I'll be righ' to it!" came the man's reply and in a few moments he was at their side, armed with a wooden bucket filled with water and two grimy brushes. "Will this be doin' ya?"
"Aye, thank ye." Ana nodded to Gibbs who was currently staring, wide-eyed at Sierra's clothing. He looked away and nodded in return, stalking off and muttering under his breath something along the lines of:
"Capt'n's mad...two women aboard? Double bad luck, mark my words."
Ana shook her head and crouched down, taking a brush and beginning to rub a small section of the deck with it. Sierra tried to copy her actions, sitting down awkwardly. Ana laughed.
"It's alrigh' ye know. Yer not wearin' a dress an' yer on board a pirate ship...ya don' need ta be actin' proper."
"Sorry." Sierra blushed, kneeling up. "I guess I'm just used to it."
"Aye," Ana grinned, "but I'll bet ya anythin' this is better!"
It is… Sierra thought to herself. Or at least it is at the moment. She was still a little frightened about being around so many pirates with no means of escape, but the captain seemed like a decent man – albeit a strange one. Deciding to forget her worries and concentrate on the task at hand, Sierra grabbed the remaining brush and began to scrub.
After a good hour of cleaning the decks, Sierra was beginning to get tired; she wasn't used to manual labour. Wiping her forehead on her sleeve she pulled back the locks of curly, black hair that kept falling into her eyes and began working again.
Ana stopped for a second, watching Sierra before standing up and pulling back her old jacket to reveal a sash of dark-blue material tied around her waist.
"'Ere ya go." She brought the material to her teeth, ripping off a strip. "This should help," she told Sierra, folding the strip in half and handing it to her. Sierra paused for a second before she understood and raised it to her head, tying it around and pulling her thick hair out from underneath at the back. Feeling the material with her fingers, Sierra grinned at Ana – the make-shift bandana entirely completed the pirate look.
The two continued to scrub the deck as the sun rose before them until about mid-morning when Gibbs shout could be heard from the crows-nest.
'LAND AHOY!'