Disclaimer: Oh, how I wish I owned Jack Sparrow, but he belongs to Disney.
AN: I've noticed that there haven't been a lot of reviews for this story. If there aren't enough reviews from readers, I'll think that there aren't many readers and have to take this story down. Meanwhile, enjoy the chapter, and long live "you" fiction writers!
Chapter 3: Explorations Lead to Trouble:
Narrator's POV:
The day after their arrival in Tortuga, Athena was taken to several different shops in order to dress her like a 'proper' young lady. In the ten-year-old mind, that was the worst thing to do, especially when she would rather be exploring the town with her father. Unfortunately, the Black Pearl's Captain was making his usual rum-rounds at the taverns, as he had done before his marriage. This left the two female Sparrows on their own with a guard in the form of Annamaria. Since the male members of the crew would be bored silly going to dress shops, Jack had found Annamaria at her usual tavern and convinced her to go along with his wife and daughter for their shopping trip. After making sure that everything was in place, Jack had vanished into the maze of taverns and bars, leaving his ladies to their business.
Finally, hours later, the two Sparrow women and their guard returned to the Golden Flower Inn, Angela taking her daughter to their room, and Annamaria going back to her drinking and gambling. However, after Angela was occupied with sorting out their purchases, the ever-curious daughter of Captain Jack Sparrow decided to go out on her own to investigate the town that her father had told her so much about.
Athena's POV:
She knew that what she was doing was wrong, but she didn't really care. Her parents got to look around town and have fun, so why couldn't she? Besides, she could protect herself; her encounter with that Scarlet-woman was proof of that! Still, she took her father's advice and stayed out of sight of everyone. As she approached the center of town, she peered around the corner of a run-down building and saw men running around, shooting off their pistols and yelling bad words. Athena could feel fear running through her as she saw men fighting, chasing each other with swords or smashing bottles over each other's heads. Women in small, tight dresses walked around with shabbily dressed men with bad teeth. Deciding that going out alone was a bad idea, Athena turned and began heading towards the Inn, suddenly anxious to see her mother. She was almost there when a strange man stepped in front of her.
"Hello, poppet," he said, smiling.
Athena instantly got an extremely bad feeling from this man. His smile was cold, reminding her of a new sword, shimmering and deadly, and his black eyes were hard like the black ebony wood that made up her father's ship. His dark hair was streaked with white and grey, but his body looked as battle-ready as her father's, and he was likely as good with a sword as any pirate. Athena slowly backed away, keeping her senses open for any possible dangers around her.
"Now, now, poppet," the man chided her. "No need to get frightened; I'm a pirate captain just like your father." He smile widened, revealing far too many teeth for her liking. "What do you say to coming onboard my ship for a bit?"
Athena instantly began to panic as he reached out for her. She was so frightened that she didn't notice the man sneaking up behind her. A cloth covered her face, and everything went black.
Angela's POV:
Pacing around the room, Angela felt ready to tear her hair out. Her daughter had been missing for over two hours, and her husband was God-knows-where! Still, Angela was currently trying her best not to run through the town, screaming for her child and for Jack. It really didn't help that she didn't know where Jack was, and she had no idea where to start looking for Athena. She had thought of using magic, but the problem was that, although Angela was a witch and Athena her daughter, using magic to search for Athena wouldn't work because Athena's own magic prevented any witch from locating her. It was somewhat a curse to have that magical 'protection,' considering that the Sharp women always had trouble finding out where their children were.
"And now Athena's missing!" Angela said aloud, her hands pressed to her forehead.
"What do ye mean Athena's missing?" asked a familiar, husky voice from the doorway.
Turning around, Angela saw Jack standing in the doorway, a large box under his arm. Relief instantly flooded through her as she launched herself at her husband, tears in her eyes. Jack set down his burden on a nearby table and wrapped his arms around her, wrapping her in a pocket of warm safety. After several moments of quiet weeping, Angela managed to calm down and look up at her husband.
"Oh, Jack," Angela said, her eyes tearing up again. "Athena's gone! I only turned my back for a moment and the next thing I knew..." Laying her head on Jack's chest, she started crying again as she felt Jack stiffen before he began stroking her back, attempting to comfort her.
"Don't worry, luv," he whispered into her ear. "I'm sure she can take care of herself. She's a clever girl, and she's got those gifts of hers; I'm sure she'll be fine!"
Angela sniffed, trying to calm down. "Jack, she's only ten-years-old!" she said, wiping her eyes with her hands. "She hasn't come into her full powers yet, and who knows what trouble she could be in?"
Jack sighed. "Alright, darling," he said, one arm around her waist as the other caressed her cheek. "We'll check out of the Inn and look around town for her, savvy? And if we can't find her, I'll do whatever it takes to find out if something's happened to her."
Angela nodded. Looking around, she spotted the box he had brought in. "What's in the box?" she asked, moving towards it.
Jack quickly stepped in front of her. "Nothing, luv," he said, smiling at her raised eyebrows. "I'll show ye later. Why don't we get our stuff and head off to find the crew to help us look for our girl?"
Angela nodded, and the two Sparrows quickly packed up their belongings, paid for their delivery to the Pearl, and headed off into the depths of the pirate haven of Tortuga.
Athena's POV:
Flickering bright light and the gentle rock of a ship at sea greeted her as she woke, making her think she was safe onboard the Black Pearl in her mother and father's cabin. Those thoughts were dashed when she spotted the strange surroundings and unfamiliar wood walls, signs that she was on a ship that definitely wasn't the Pearl. Rubbing the sleep out of her blue eyes, Athena took a better look around and spotted the strange man from before, only he looked extremely happy for some reason. Scooting back on the cot she was on, Athena pressed herself as far away from the stranger as she could get, her eyes never leaving him. She became even more frightened and uneasy when he smiled at her, his teeth flashing.
"Now, poppet, don't be frightened of old Captain Flint," he said as he slowly inched towards her. "I'm not going to hurt you."
The man, Flint he called himself, picked up a nearby chair and pulled it towards the bed. When he was about five feet from her, he sat down and crossed his legs as he leaned back, his smile never leaving his face.
"So you're the daughter of Jack Sparrow and his lovely wife," he said, black eyes sliding over her, making her uncomfortable. "You've got your mother's hair, but not the eye color of either parent." Flint smirked at her. "What's your name, sweetness?"
Athena backed up until she met a wall, preventing any further movement. She really didn't want to answer this man because she could see that he did not like her father at all. Growing up, Athena knew that her father had lots of bad people after him, but he'd always managed to either kill them before or after they caught up to him. This one must have gotten away and had returned for some payback. Swallowing hard, Athena kept her mouth shut and her mind sharp, just like her father told her to in a pinch like this.
Flint chuckled. "No matter," he said, smiling at her again. "I got your name from some of the pirates around town, Athena." He smiled even wider at her shocked expression. "Oh, I've got friends in many places, little one. You'd be amazed at what I can find out." His cold black eyes locked with her frightened blue ones. "Very pretty eyes you've got there, they look just like the sea on a clear day." He moved quickly, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look up at him. "Yes, you've got your mother's beauty...you'll be a looker when you grow up in a few years and are ready for a husband. Till then, though..." Flint grinned savagely. "Till then, you're mine."
With those words, he stood up and stalked out of the cabin, locking the door behind him. Athena turned her head and stared out the window, watching the island of Tortuga fade behind them.
Jack's POV:
After collecting several crewmembers from their taverns to help in the search, Jack and his wife had spent hours looking for their daughter. Even with the help of the crew, there was still no sign of the little girl, and Angela looked fully ready to panic. Jack was ready to panic along with her, but knew he had to be strong and calm, both for her sake and for Athena's. The idea of his little girl lost in a pirate haven made Jack want to tear the place apart, but he knew that wasn't possible. Instead, he'd had a few men try and gather the rest of the crew in hopes of a larger group search of the town. That, too, had been hours ago, and the search had come to nothing. Now the entire crew was gathered in the ship's galley to decide what to do next.
"I don't suppose anyone has an idea on what we should do, huh?" Annamaria asked, glancing around the group. "I mean, our little treasure has to be around here somewhere!"
"Anna, we don't even know if she's alive or—" Mr. Gibbs was cut off by a swift kick to his leg. A quick glare from surrounding crewmen silenced the rest of his thought.
"Don't even think it, Gibbs," Jack warned, his usually friendly brown eyes turning angry. "My little Pearl is alive and well, I know it. Angela and I would know if something had happened to her. Isn't that right, luv?"
Angela nodded. "I know she's alright, I just don't know where she is!" she said, her eyes red from crying and still wet with tears. "I'd search for her, but her powers prevent me from actually finding her."
Jack watched as Angela dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief that he had given her earlier. He felt his heart break at the sight of his wife bawling her eyes out and him not able to take her pain away. Glancing around, Jack saw that the rest of the crew looked as heartbroken as Angela was. After his wife dabbed her eyes once again, Angela took a deep breath and gave them a tiny smile.
"Seriously, though," she said, looking around at all of them. "Does anyone have any ideas?"
Annamaria raised her hand. "Well, since ye can't look for Athena herself, can ye at least look for the place she's at? Ye know, her surroundings or something?"
Angela's eyes lit up with joy and hope for the first time in hours. "That just might work!" she exclaimed. "I'll look right now!" She turned and raced way before anyone could stop her.
Jack blinked a few times before he gave Annamaria a grateful smile. "Thanks for helping to cheer her up and give her some ideas, Anna," he said. "She really needed that."
Annamaria shrugged. "Just thought we should cover all our possibilities, Cap'n," she said, a small smile settling on her mouth.
Jack nodded. "Good idea," he said, turning back to his crewmen. "Anyone else got any ideas?" The crew shook their heads.
"We've searched every inn, tavern, and shop on the island, sir," Gibbs said, rubbing his neck, a sure sign that he was worried for his little 'niece.' "There's no sign of the little lass anywhere because no one's seen her."
Jack groaned. "That's because I taught her to always keep out of sight whenever she's exploring a strange place," he said, slapping his forehead with his hand. "I never thought she'd be so good at it."
Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Jack closed his eyes and sighed. Silence filled the room as the crew of the Black Pearl let their Captain have a moment to gather his thoughts and calm down. As he enjoyed the silence, worry began to form in Jack's heart, worry for both his wife and daughter. He knew that Angela could handle most things, but losing Athena wasn't one of them. His wife had been by his side through many pirate battles, usually helping to keep enemies away from their locked cabin, where Athena was always kept in during dangerous times. The two adult Sparrows could handle battles, blood, nasty wounds, and other horrible sights, but the loss of their child was something neither one of them could bear.
"Uh, Cap'n?" a voice asked.
Jack opened his eyes and looked up. "Aye?" he said, suddenly feeling very tired and helpless.
"Shouldn't ye be checking on the missus?" asked Tom, who, at three feet tall, was the shortest member of the crew. "She be gone a while now."
Jack suddenly leapt out of his chair. "You're right," he said, straightening his belt. "I want the Pearl ready to sail as soon as possible, just in case my wife finds anything. Now get going!"
As he abruptly turned and raced out the door, he heard his crew scramble out of their seats and noisily make their way on deck. Meanwhile, Jack headed down towards his cabin in search of Angela. Quietly approaching the door, he listened. No sound reached his ear, so he carefully opened the door to find his wife sitting at the long dining table, her scrying bowl in front of her, violet eyes darting back and forth as she searched for any sign of their daughter. After a while, she sat back, rubbed her eyes, and sighed. Jack came up behind her and began to massage her shoulders, hoping to relax her.
"It's alright, luv," he said soothingly. "We'll find her soon, don't worry."
Angela shook her head. "I'm not giving up, Jack," she said softly. Leaning forward, she continued to gaze into the bowl as Jack kept his hands on her shoulders. As they both leaned forward over the bowl, the water clouded over before quickly parting to reveal a ship with the name The Forgotten Blade painted on the side. The two Sparrows held their breath as the bowl focused in on the ship, diving beneath the deck and stopping in what appeared to be the captain's cabin. A lone figure sat hunched over a desk, scribbling something on a map. The dim light coming from one candle wasn't enough to show who the figure was, but the map he was marking on and the compass sitting next to him indicated which direction he was going. An instant later, the image faded, leaving Angela and Jack alone to think through what they had seen. Several quiet minutes passed before Jack spoke up.
"Well, at least we know the name of the ship and where they're going," he said, still holding on to his wife's shoulders. "The Forgotten Blade is going south, towards South America, so we should be able to follow them there." Jack kissed his wife before running out on deck to start giving orders to his crew, leaving Angela behind to do whatever 'witch tasks' she needed to do.
Meanwhile, Athena's POV:
Athena had been stuck in her cabin, alone, for hours, and now felt as though she were going to go mad with boredom. The cabin was bare of everything except the cot she was currently sitting on, the chair that Flint had sat in, a table, a small window, and a flickering candle. There was nothing for Athena to amuse herself with, and she had never gone for so long without her toys or a person to play with.
As she fiddled with her gown, she felt something shift in a hidden pocket in her skirt. Reaching inside, Athena pulled out two small balls, each the size of her palm. Inspecting the balls, Athena believed that both were exactly the same. They were filled with sand, and the outsides were an emerald green cloth embroidered with an elegant gold design. A piece of paper fell out of her pocket, and she picked it up, unfolding it. It was a note from her parents.
"Darling, hope you enjoy these. Use your magic on them or play with them as you wish. Love, Mama and Daddy."
Athena felt tears swell up in her eyes as she began to use her powers to move them, hoping that her parents would soon find her and take her away from this strange ship and its scary captain.
AN: I'll be leaving for Las Vegas for about a week, so don't expect updates for at least that long. But I'll post as soon as I can. Please show your support and review!