A/N: Sooooo…one year later…dun dun dun! Oh yes, and sorry for not clarifying…chappie one takes place about half a year after PotC. Now, I'm trying very hard not to make Rose a Mary Sue…she's a lot of things, that girl is, but perfect is DEFINITELY not one of them. So she's as quirky, silly, and likeable as I can make her. Especially quirky. ^_^;; Lemme know if I'm succeeding at this, k?

Disclaimer: Do I LOOK like Walt Disney to you?

~*~ Pirates of the Caribbean: Revenge of the Damned ~*~

~ Chapter Two: Rose ~

Several miles from Port Royale, a rather small boat approached in a loopy way, zigzagging and stopping at odd intervals, almost as if it had a leak. It appeared normal, but if you took a closer look, you would have been surprised to see a tall, slender girl standing on its mast. Looking to be in her late teens, she was clad in dark, loose breeches with one knee torn off, short leather boots, a loose, flowing blouse that had once been white, a dark red vest, a leather belt, and black gloves with the fingers cut off. One of her slender hands was wrapped around the mast; the other, with two rings on it, was on her waist. Her nails were short and rather dirty. A gold chain hung around her neck, tucked into her shirt. Her face was oval-shaped, with distinct features; her deep grey eyes were focused, her nose slightly too large for her face, her lips pressed together in determination, her chin strong and set. A slim scar traced the length of her right cheek. Her dark brown hair was kept away from her face with a dark red bandana; it fell to her shoulders and was half in small braids.

The girl had an air of self-assurance, confidence, and graceful ease; you got the impression that she knew where she was going, what she was doing, and why she was doing it. This was the impression she would have normally given off; unfortunately, being on board a boat that was rapidly leaking didn't do wonders for said impression.

There was no way around it, Rosalìna Glassman decided. She was in trouble.

Rosalìna, or Rose, as she was called, let down a rope and swung into the boat, very narrowly missing falling overboard as she crashed to the deck. "I 'ave GOT to get the 'ang of this piratin' thing," she muttered in annoyance as she climbed back to her feet, assessing the situation. She was lost at sea, with absolutely no idea where she was or could possibly be. Her boat was leaking – you couldn't trust anything stolen these days, she thought, rolling her eyes. And if she didn't get help or to shore soon, her pirating career would be over before it had even begun.

"What a lovely name I'm makin' out for meself already," Rose growled, trying desperately – and futilely – to bail out her boat. "Rose Glassman, th' world's worst pirate."

After several minutes' worth of effort, the girl had to acknowledge that it was all completely useless. All she could do was hope to find shore, or another boat, soon, that she could tread water long enough to wait to be rescued, or that death by drowning wasn't as painful as it sounded. Sighing, she plopped down onto the only dry patch on the deck and thought back to the events that had carried her here.

Rose had grown up in Tortuga, the daughter of a young woman named Katarina Glassman. No one had ever expected Katarina to have a child out of wedlock; she was respected and regarded as a lady, for all she was poor. But have a child out of wedlock Katarina did – two children, in fact, but only one she kept. Rose had never even seen her twin brother – all she knew of him was what Katarina had told her. No one even knew that Katarina had has twins.

Rose had never known her father, either. According to Katarina, he had been a famous pirate who had had numerous great adventures, which always ended in narrow, exciting escapes. He had spent a week in Tortuga seventeen fateful years ago, and during that time Katarina had fallen in love with him. However, after that week, he left, and Katarina had never seen him again. Even at a young age, Rose could tell from her mother's tales that she had loved her father deeply, and she had never gotten over his sudden departure. It had hit Katarina even harder when she found out she was carrying his child; it was a series of emotional blows that Rose was certain had helped drive her to the grave.

Katarina had barely enough money to support herself, but she always put Rose first. She didn't get medicine when she was sick; medicine was expensive, and Rose knew that her mother would have rather died than left her daughter without food or clothing. Because of this, Rose had grown up fairly happy and well cared for, while Katarina had grown steadily sicker and worse. The effect of years' worth of strain showed itself when Katarina died a month after Rose's fifteenth birthday. It left the girl heartbroken and determined to find a life for herself outside of Tortuga.

All of Rose's childhood, she'd heard from her mother about her father's escapades, his grand adventures, and what an amazing man and pirate he was. But at the same time, she'd grown up in the acute reality that he'd left her mother heartbroken and never even seen his daughter. This resulted in a deep admiration, love, and awe for her father that was covered with a fierce grudge and anger against him for what he'd done to Katarina. From the stories of her father's doings, Rose had developed an interest bordering on obsession for the profession of piracy. She loved the idea of people, with no regard for rules or proper life, doing exactly what they wanted, with no one telling them what they could and couldn't do; even at a young age, she'd been unable to sit still and didn't see the reason for most rules. So, once Katarina had died and she'd finished grieving, Rose had gathered what supplies she could, stolen a boat, and left Tortuga in search of her father, intending both to join him and to give him a piece of her mind.

Now, sitting on the deck of a leaky boat in an unusually emotional state, Rose felt a deep pang of shame. Katarina had always wanted her to be a lady. To be elegant, beautiful, wise, follow the rules, and bring pride to the Glassman name – the words had been her mother's constant refrain. Well, Rose reflected, she wasn't particularly elegant, she wasn't at all beautiful, not very wise either, she very rarely followed rules…and sitting in a leaky boat wasn't exactly bringing pride to the Glassman name.

"I've failed ye, Mum," Rose said softly, looking glumly at the water inside the boat, shaking her head. "'m sorry. I swear 'll do whate'er I can to be th' best pirate I can be. 'll find Dad, too. You won't be sorry you 'ad me, Mum…I swear 't."

~*~*~

As the ship, just like the other three Rose had stolen in the past year and a half, sank almost completely into the shallow water next to the Port Royale dock, the girl hopped off the mast and onto the dock, completely unaware that she was tracing the footsteps of her father. "Whoe'er said third time's th' charm must've been off their damn rocker," she muttered in annoyance, shaking the water off of her feet. "Y'd think I'd learn."

Undaunted by her stolen ship's sinking, Rose surveyed the town in front of her. Port Royale. The last time she'd been here, about a year ago, she'd gotten into a bar fight and attempted to rob the general store – while a Navy parade was taking place. Not the wisest of moves, in retrospect. Hopefully, no one would remember her.

"Hoi! You there!"

No such luck, apparently.

Rose froze midstep, turning to face the official, an old, stern-looking man staring at her across glasses perched low on his nose. "Aye, mate?"

The official bristled. "It's a shilling to tie up your boat here."

Rose gave the mast just barely protruding from the water a pointed look. When the official didn't budge, she let out a frustrated sigh and rolled her eyes. "My boat? Alright, mate, f'r one thing, it's not even my boat. F'r 'nother, look at the bloody thing. 'S almost completely gone under!"

The official raised his eyebrow. "Yes, but it is still at my dock…and at least part of it is still here."

Rose raised her own eyebrow at the official. In a gesture of impulsiveness that she would later regret, she pulled the pistol from her belt, aimed at the ship's mast, and fired, several times. The pieces of the mast that had been showing broke off and fell into the water, sinking with the rest of the ship. Enjoying the horrified look on the officer's face, Rose placed the pistol to her lips. "Not anymore," was her calm reply, as she blew the smoke off the top of her gun.

The official stared at Rose with huge eyes. "That…that…" Calming himself, he drew himself up and glared at the girl. "I shall have to have you placed under arrest, for possession of weapons, deliberate insubordination, and destruction of Port Royale property."

Rose cocked her other eyebrow at the official in disbelief. "What?! Th' boat was practic'ly ruined already! Y'd think they'd make merchandise more sturdy...no one thinks o' thieves 'o 'ave t'deal with faulty stolen goods anymore..."

The official smiled slightly. "So you DID steal that boat."

Rose groaned and slapped herself on the head. She'd been impulsive and thoughtless, again. Katarina would have been mortified. Thinking quickly, Rose did the first thing that came to her mind. She fumbled with her gun and prepared to shoot, pointing it at the official.

She had to think quickly. This was looking like a worse and worse course of action by the second. "Th' way I see it, mate, we got three options," she managed to bluff, struggling to keep her voice light and her eyes steady. She prayed her hands on the pistol weren't shaking. "Option one: I go with ye quietly t' jail and accept whate'er cons'quences find me there." A small smile appeared on her face. "Which I won't e'en consider, so 's out o' th' question.

"Option two. Y'let me go into Port Royale with no trouble whatsoever, an' I'll keep that in mind f'r future ref'rences. I don' plan on 'urtin' anyone, so in my opinion, tha's the best option. But ye really don' plan on listenin' t' me, do ya?

"Option three…you don't let me through, and I fight ye. Attracts a lot of attention, is noisy, and makes me waste ammunition. Not th' best of options, eh, mate?

"So take yer pick." Rose continued to hold the pistol steady. Her tone was stronger now. She may be able to bluff her way through this after all.

"Well, well. Look who's decided to return to Port Royale."

Rose nearly dropped the gun. Whirling, she saw at least twenty officers of the British Royal Navy, armed and in uniform, standing behind a man whose face she'd prayed to God she'd never see again: Commodore Norrington.

"Or you could choose option four…set 'alf a reg'ment from the British Royal Navy after me," she managed weakly. "What IS it with me an' th' Navy?"

"We heard the gunshots and decided to see what was going on," Norrington told the official, who glared at Rose rather nastily. "Good thing we did, it turns out." Norrington's eyes went to the rip in Rose's right sleeve, which exposed her infamous tattoo. "Rose Glassman, isn't it? The…pirate?"

Rose winced slightly. "Pirate in trainin'," she corrected, looking extremely sheepish.

Norrington rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter. Drop the gun, Miss Glassman."

Rose glared at him defiantly, fingers clutching the gun even tighter. She wouldn't do it.

Norrington's blue eyes met Rose's dark grey ones squarely. He chuckled softly. "You have got to be the second worst pirate I've ever heard of. First is reserved for your father."

Rose bit the inside of her cheek to keep from doing or saying something she'd regret. Sensing that the comment had hit home, Norrington continued. "You know, you take after your father in so many ways…including your pirating skills…or, shall we say, lack of them." His gaze narrowed. "Like father, like daughter. And it's a pity for you to end up where he eventually will."

Norrington's comments stung, and Rose struggled not to let him see that. However, her stupid pride wouldn't let her be. "Leave me father alone," she said through gritted teeth, and before she knew what she was doing, she'd shot her last bullet straight at Norrington.

The man, naturally, had the presence of mind to duck. The twenty or so soldiers there instantly had their guns out and pointed at Rose. The girl gulped, eyes huge, slowly realizing what a stupid thing she'd done.

She attempted to fire her gun, only to realize it was empty. "Damn!" she yelled, dropped the pistol, and ran for her life.

Behind her, Rose could hear Norrington yell, "Open fire!" A sinking feeling filled her, and she screamed as bullets started raining around her. With both hands over her head as she tore off into Port Royale, those Rose barreled into while running could hear her yell, "I am th' world's worst pirate!!"