~Author's Note~

Thanks to my reviewers! Sorry for the delay, I had mid-terms! (or as my school calls them, finals!) Ugh!

*On with the story!

Ch6: The Life of a Pirate

Jack clenched his teeth together as he felt the excruciating pain in his right arm. He couldn't bare to look at it, but he did anyways. His stomach lurched as he saw the red-hot poker carving the deign into him.

He looked over at Nia, she was staring directly into his eyes, her left fist clenched in pain. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she would never let them fall.

When it was finished, Jack examined his arm. The shape of a sparrow and a sun were etched into his arm. Nia soon came up to him. She held out her arm to reveal her name outlined in black ink.

This is it, he thought, the mark of a pirate. I am now officially a pirate, as well as Nia. Nia… his mind wandered, they had been engaged for almost three weeks and had yet to tell a single soul.

"Well," Jeremiah said, looking proudly at them both,

"It is official. I should leave you two alone," he said and he beckoned to the crew to follow him, for he knew that Jack and his daughter were dating.

When they were alone, Jack turned to her,

"You like it, love?" She smiled a bit, then looked up at him,

"Yes, I do." He pulled her close, and pushed his lips to hers. She met his with equal force, deepening the kiss until they both felt dizzy.

Soon after, as they were laying in bed, Nia commented,

"I wonder what father will think when we tell 'im."

Jack smiled softly at her as he ran his finger down her back,

"I think he'll be thrilled, love, why wouldn't he be? I mean your marrying me?" he said. She laughed and rolled him over. She moved her mouth across his chin and back up to his mouth. He groaned with excitement and toppled on top of her, bringing them into heaven.

That night, after the ship had docked into a little town outside of Tortuga, as they raced across the court yard and into a house of the town governor, they snickered to themselves. Their jokes, these small pleasures, were the kind that lovers share after a night of pure passion.

While they entered the forbidden house, they felt the ecstasy surround them. They were in love, not only with each other, but the life that now surrounded them. As they took what they could, and gave nothing back, they felt as if they were a virgin, stepping onto the threshold of adulthood for the very first time.

As they were about to leave, they heard a noise come from upstairs. Quickly, they darted into the shadows, hoping the noise would go away, but the shadow only came closer.

"'Ello? Anyone out there?" came a voice, that they both assumed it was the maid.

Jack knew what he had to do, and shuddered at the thought. It's part of the life, he told himself. And, as quick as lightening, he drew his blade and sliced her throat.

Nia had to keep a hand over her mouth to keep from barfing at the sight of the woman struggle for life. Finally, after the moment of nausea faded, Nia guided Jack out of the house and back onto the ship.

There, they compared their plunder to the rest of the clue. Jeremiah, more proud than ever, boasted with extreme excitement,

"You see? You see what my daughter and son-in-law 'ave brought me?" And when the crew laughed, Nia and Jack stood completely still, both shocked to the core.

"But 'ow-'ow do you know?" Nia stammered.

"Nia, do you honestly think that as your father and friend that I couldn't tell? You have the same look in you eyes that I once had when I looked at your mother…" Jeremiah's voice faded as he thought of his former wife.

"Dad…" Nia moved her hand to his shoulder.

"I'm ok, he told, just 'appy for the two of you. So, when's the big day?"

"We 'aven't decided yet," Nia confessed, her cheeks blushing ever so slightly.

"We, just want to take it one day at a time," Jack explained.

"That's fine, my boy! You know, you did good!"

"Dad!" Nia cried, her cheeks becoming the shade of an apple, and she dragged Jack away into their compartments.

Later, as they lay in bed together, Nia heard the footsteps of men up above them.

Funny, she thought, I remember seeing everyone go to bed. She looked around her, shadows everywhere played on the bulkheads of the ships' hull. She shifted, trying not to wake up her sleeping fiancé.

She heard the noise again as she got dressed. And quickly, she quietly raced up the stairs. She hid in the shadows, and searched the ship. She caught a movement out of the corner of her eyes, and she turned to face it, but it was gone.

Just a rat, she mused as she walked towards the gangplank of the ship. That was when she came upon a piece of cloth, ripped off of a clock. She turned it over, in had the initials JB on it.

Jeremiah Black, she thought as she raced down the gangplank and into the town. She found a footprint in the sand, and followed it until she came upon a heap of men. She turned them over, all dead. She recognized the men some of the crew. When she came upon the last one her mind was racing,

No, no!, it screamed, and when she turned him over, she fell to the ground in horror.

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"Jack, Jack get up! NOW!" she screamed as she violently shook him.
"What!?" he yelled as he rolled over.

"He's gone, he's gone!" she cried, tears streaming down her face.

"Who, who is gone?"

"My dad! He's dead!"

This was the point that their whole world went to hell.

Ahh, my heart still aches when I think about that morning, mate. It pained me so much to see my lass' face covered in tears, but it pained me even more so that the only father that I had ever known was gone. But as I look back on it now, mate, I see that I would have never risen to be the infamous Capitan Jack Sparrow if he wouldn't have been murdered…