~Author's Note~

Thanx to all my reviewers! I luv you!!! Remember I don't own any of these characters (besides the ones that I made up) or the story for that matter. I wish that I did though…

Neways, one with the story*

Ch2: Welcome to the House of a Pirate

Jack walked down the streets of Tortuga as the sun set behind the horizon. He knew that he would need a place to sleep, but he had no clue where. Even as he thought of this, he came upon a small cottage. It's dim lights seemed to beckon to him, so he traveled closer.

He was about to cross to the door, when a thought struck him, What am I going to tell these people? That I ran away from home and need a place to sleep for the night?

As these doubts entered his head, he began to retreat from the small, warm, safe cottage. But his arm was held still by that of another. He turned around to see a girl of about his age, with stunning black hair and green eyes. The moment he saw her, he felt a moment of utter passion and attraction towards her.

Not exactly realizing what this feeling could possibly be (he's only ten years old pple!), an mistaking it to be embarrassment, he pulled his hand away from her grasp.

"Well, well, well, what do we 'ave 'ere?" she asked, her accent was clearly depicted by Jack as being British.

"Uhh…" was all the Jack could manage to say.

"Well, you 'ave to speak up, I can't understand Uhh…" she mocked, her tone friendly.

"I-I'm Jack, Jack Sparrow." he told her, slightly blushing when she giggled at his name.

"Well, Mr. Sparrow, I'm Nia Black, at you service. What could I 'elp you with seeing as you are new to this part of town?" He just stared at her, he had to admit she was perceptive. Somehow he hadn't thought she would be this willing to help.

"Well, I need a place to sleep." he stated, his voice almost a whisper.

Before Jack could say anything more, she had grabbed hold of his arm and yanked him towards the front door and into the house.

"What the bloody hell-"

"Well, you said that you wanted a place to sleep, didn't you?" she cut him off.

"Yeah, but I wasn't expecting-"

" When you're with the Blacks, expect the unexpected." she chirped happily as she lead him to a small room that took on the appearance of a living room. It did not take Jack long to realize who the sleeping man in the chair was: her father.

"Pa…pa!" she said as she gently shook him.

"What the bloody 'ell do you want woman?! Can't you see I was sleepin'!" he grumbled as he awoke and turned around to look at her.

" Well, we 'ave some company, at least for tonight. This poor boy needs a place to stay, for- I never did ask you how long." she said, turning to Jack, who was looking, with shock, at her father.

"I don't think-"

"Oh, c'mon! He won't bite, he's as huggable as a teddy bear when he's not sleepin'." she interrupted, catching the tone of his voice.

"Yeah boy, now how long do you need a place to stay?" her father grumbled.

"A-as long as I can…" Jack quietly stated.

"Well, then, you must be a drifter, who was your pa?" her father asked, getting quite excited by now.

This was the moment that Jack had been dreading. By now all he had to do was utter his father's name to be kicked out, especially by commoners such as these. Not that he was rich, mind you, he just recognized them as one of his own. Oh, my father had plenty of money, but that hadn't meant he was going to share it with me in any way. So for ten years, I have lived as commoner while my dad ate with the highest military ranking men… He looked up to see them both staring at her. It took a moment to realize that they were waiting for a response.

"I-I don't have a father, no family for that matter…" he trailed.

"Oh," cried her father,

"Well we'll accommodate you for as long as you need,-I didn't catch your name."

"This is Jack Sparrow." his daughter answered.

"Well, Mr. Sparrow, I'm Jeremiah Black, better known among me more intimate friends and enemies as Bloody Captain Black."

"Bloody Captain Black? Like the pirate?" Jack asked, He had heard stories before, but he thought that he was just a legend. Or that is what his father had told him…

"The very same. Welcome to the home of a pirate." Jeremiah grinned and patted Jack's back, then went into the kitchen to prepare something to eat.

"I'll show you to your room, Mr. Sparrow." she said politely.

"Call me Jack," he said.

"Ok, Jack." she said as she opened the door to the spare bedroom.

"There may be rats down 'ere, we 'aven't used this room in a while, but they're friendly enough. I'll come get you when supper's ready."

"Thanks," was all that Jack could muster before she was gone.

Nia walked back to the kitchen with a huge smile on her lips. There is something… special about that boy, she mused. There had never been any boy that she had wanted to get to know so fast, or wanted him to like her.

As she entered the kitchen, she smiled at her pa, then asked,

"What do you need 'elp with?"

"You fancy him." was her pa's only response. Taken aback, she asked,

"What?"

"You fancy him, that Jack Sparrow." her father turned to her, a small smirk played on his lips.

"I don't 'ave the slightest clue at what your talking about.' she responded, but she knew that he was right, she did fancy him.

"Oh, c'mon Nia, ever since your ma done and left us…" he saw her stiffen,

"Nia, we all have to move on. But like I was gonna say, ever since she left, we 'ave become very close. I call tell when your interested. I know that you are only ten, but I can smell attraction a thousand miles away."

"Well, what if I am… Just don't say anything… TO ANYONE!" she pleaded.

"Of course not, I give you my word as a gentlemen-" this was cut off by a snort from his daughter,

"You, a gentlemen? Ha! Give me your word as a scoundrel an' I'll believe you."

"Fine, you 'ave my word as a scoundrel and as a pirate that I won't tell anyone that you fancy the lad. Is that good enough?" he asked.

"Yes, now let's get started on supper 'ere. We don't want to starve him, not yet at least." she joked.

As soon as supper was ready, she walked down to get him, as promised. When she reached the door, she found him sleeping. He looks like an innocent angle. I can't wake him, not yet… So she walked back up the stairs to find her father.

He was sitting talking in low tones to another man. Nia immediately recognized the man as Bones, her father's first mate. This can only mean one thing… she mused s she made her presence known.

"Nia," her father began,

"I have to go, duty calls, love," he said when he saw her face. Then he got an excellent idea,

"Why don't you go and ask our guest if 'e don't mind coming. All three of us can go this time." then he looked towards his first mate,

"I don't know 'ow long we will be, I'd rather 'ave 'er where I could watch 'er."

"Fine," Bones agreed,

"But I ain't playin' no baby-sitter."

But Nia heard none of this, as she was running down the stairs and to Jack's room.

"Jack, Jack," she violently shook him.

"Wha-"

"My, dad, we're going with 'im!" she cried.

"Going with him where?" he asked, and she suddenly realized that he had no clue what she was talking about.

"On a pirate's adventure." she whispered.

"This is how I first learned about what being a pirate is all about, love. I soon fell in love with the adventures and the people involved, if you get my drift… savvy? Captain Black taught me what a ship is, not just what a ship needs. And Nia, well, mate, lets just leave that for another time…"