Disclaimer: Imagine Mickey Mouse standing over you when you woke up and saying in that squeaky cartoon voice, "Captain Jack Sparrow is MINE!! MINE I TELL YOU!! YOU CAN'T HAVE HIM!!!! MWAHAHAHAHA!!!!" Now realize that that happened to me last night....Don't ask...
Steven Lancaster was frustrated. He'd had the whore's brat on his ship for seven hours by now and she still wasn't telling him anything. He'd tried asking nicely, he'd tried pleading, now it was time to throw away the niceties and use force. He summoned his Lieutenant.
"Davis," he said, "bring the girl to me please, and be smart about it." Davis bowed and exited with a "Yes sir." as his reply. Lancaster waited until the little one had been brought in. Her clothes were ragged and torn, her face was dirty and her hair was tangled, but she was beautiful. Lancaster could see that the girl hadn't inherited her mother's beauty, but possessed a dark one all her own. Banishing any good feelings he felt toward this innocent child, he approached her in a menacing stance.
"Now I'm only going to ask you this once," he said angrily. "Where is the pirate that your mother saw the other day?" Little Arden looked at him trembling. He saw her lips moving but no sound came out. "Sorry?" he said cruelly. "I didn't quite catch that."
"I dunno," she said swiftly. With her answer came the back of Lancaster's hand. The rings on his fingers cut the poor little girl's face. He could tell that the girl was trying to be brave and not cry, but there were tears welling up in the poor child's eyes as she said defiantly, "I dunno who you're talkin' about. I don't know nothin'." Angrily Lancaster lashed out at the child again.
"You little brat," he said madly. "You little miniature whore. Yes that's all you are, that's all you'd ever be. You don't know anything, well if you can't give me the pirate, I'll give you what I'd give him!" With that he flat out punched the little girl. That blow knocked the child out and she just lay there breathing steadily, a single tear running from her eye. Lancaster again summoned his Lieutenant.
"Davis," he said once Davis had arrived. "I want you to take this piece of flotsam and toss it overboard." Davis looked bewildered but complied with another "Yes sir.". He carefully picked up Arden and, taking her to the end of the ship closest to shore, dropped her in.
********
Captain Jack Sparrow had been having quite an eventful time in Tortuga. He'd been in several bar fights (most of which he'd won), just had a wonderful time with a particularly delightful strumpet known as Giselle, drunk four tankards of rum, and had just heard of the tale of the treasure to end all treasures, the famed Isla de Muerta. He was just making his way back to the Black Pearl when he heard shouting coming from the helm. One of his crewmembers, William Turner (known as Bootstrap or Bootstrap Bill to all but Jack), was trying to get his attention.
"Cap'n," Turner said, "there's summat in the water. I think it's someone." Jack made his way up to the ship. "Well Mr. Turner," said Jack, "if it's a someone, then 'e's probably got a good reason for bein' down there in the first place. What's so important?" Turner looked down in the water again. He finally got a good look at exactly what he was seeing in the moonlight.
"Cap'n Sparrow!" Turner shouted. "It's a child! A little lassie floatin' in the water. She's been beaten up somethin' awful. She looks dead." That got Jack's attention. He went down in the water about chest deep until he came across the child's still form. Her hair was in dark red tangles and she was tanned by the Carribean sun. Her dress was torn quite a bit. There was also a cut on her lip and she had a black eye. He carried her to the ship where he and William Turner took a look.
"'ho do you think she it Cap'n?" asked Turner concernedly. "Ye think she's got family? Wonder how she got all cut up and the like." Jack was looking at her, trying to figure out who this little one was. She didn't look any older than three or four, but she had received a beating worse than some pirates had received. Then he noticed something on the inside of her arm.
"I know who this is Bill," said Jack. "This is the daughter of a strumpet. It's Claire Hawkins's child, Arden. I've seen 'er before." Turner looked at the girl with worry. "Miz 'awkins's daughter?" he said. "But why's she all cut up?" Jack looked at the little girl in wonder. "I dunno Bill, I dunno."
******
A/N: Sorry again for the short chapter. Also sorry for the lack of comedy. I just thought that there needed to be a chapter about Arden's past before we moved on to the actual plot (like the treasure) and the comedic relief (which is Jack). There might be some comedic relief in Will and Elizabeth as well, who knows...Don't question, just ask.
Steven Lancaster was frustrated. He'd had the whore's brat on his ship for seven hours by now and she still wasn't telling him anything. He'd tried asking nicely, he'd tried pleading, now it was time to throw away the niceties and use force. He summoned his Lieutenant.
"Davis," he said, "bring the girl to me please, and be smart about it." Davis bowed and exited with a "Yes sir." as his reply. Lancaster waited until the little one had been brought in. Her clothes were ragged and torn, her face was dirty and her hair was tangled, but she was beautiful. Lancaster could see that the girl hadn't inherited her mother's beauty, but possessed a dark one all her own. Banishing any good feelings he felt toward this innocent child, he approached her in a menacing stance.
"Now I'm only going to ask you this once," he said angrily. "Where is the pirate that your mother saw the other day?" Little Arden looked at him trembling. He saw her lips moving but no sound came out. "Sorry?" he said cruelly. "I didn't quite catch that."
"I dunno," she said swiftly. With her answer came the back of Lancaster's hand. The rings on his fingers cut the poor little girl's face. He could tell that the girl was trying to be brave and not cry, but there were tears welling up in the poor child's eyes as she said defiantly, "I dunno who you're talkin' about. I don't know nothin'." Angrily Lancaster lashed out at the child again.
"You little brat," he said madly. "You little miniature whore. Yes that's all you are, that's all you'd ever be. You don't know anything, well if you can't give me the pirate, I'll give you what I'd give him!" With that he flat out punched the little girl. That blow knocked the child out and she just lay there breathing steadily, a single tear running from her eye. Lancaster again summoned his Lieutenant.
"Davis," he said once Davis had arrived. "I want you to take this piece of flotsam and toss it overboard." Davis looked bewildered but complied with another "Yes sir.". He carefully picked up Arden and, taking her to the end of the ship closest to shore, dropped her in.
********
Captain Jack Sparrow had been having quite an eventful time in Tortuga. He'd been in several bar fights (most of which he'd won), just had a wonderful time with a particularly delightful strumpet known as Giselle, drunk four tankards of rum, and had just heard of the tale of the treasure to end all treasures, the famed Isla de Muerta. He was just making his way back to the Black Pearl when he heard shouting coming from the helm. One of his crewmembers, William Turner (known as Bootstrap or Bootstrap Bill to all but Jack), was trying to get his attention.
"Cap'n," Turner said, "there's summat in the water. I think it's someone." Jack made his way up to the ship. "Well Mr. Turner," said Jack, "if it's a someone, then 'e's probably got a good reason for bein' down there in the first place. What's so important?" Turner looked down in the water again. He finally got a good look at exactly what he was seeing in the moonlight.
"Cap'n Sparrow!" Turner shouted. "It's a child! A little lassie floatin' in the water. She's been beaten up somethin' awful. She looks dead." That got Jack's attention. He went down in the water about chest deep until he came across the child's still form. Her hair was in dark red tangles and she was tanned by the Carribean sun. Her dress was torn quite a bit. There was also a cut on her lip and she had a black eye. He carried her to the ship where he and William Turner took a look.
"'ho do you think she it Cap'n?" asked Turner concernedly. "Ye think she's got family? Wonder how she got all cut up and the like." Jack was looking at her, trying to figure out who this little one was. She didn't look any older than three or four, but she had received a beating worse than some pirates had received. Then he noticed something on the inside of her arm.
"I know who this is Bill," said Jack. "This is the daughter of a strumpet. It's Claire Hawkins's child, Arden. I've seen 'er before." Turner looked at the girl with worry. "Miz 'awkins's daughter?" he said. "But why's she all cut up?" Jack looked at the little girl in wonder. "I dunno Bill, I dunno."
******
A/N: Sorry again for the short chapter. Also sorry for the lack of comedy. I just thought that there needed to be a chapter about Arden's past before we moved on to the actual plot (like the treasure) and the comedic relief (which is Jack). There might be some comedic relief in Will and Elizabeth as well, who knows...Don't question, just ask.