(A/N – Okay! We've got the rum, Combos, and cream cheese! We're good to go! To the playground! Rocky squirrel! I call it! Jess! Get the toucan! RUN!!! AHH- oof. Ow… go ahead and read… I'll cya at the bottom covered in band-aids…)

Harry Potter and The Wonderful Reviewers…

x) Raina and Nayana - Thanks for being patient! I must let you read! READ!! lol... Thank again!

x) Choco Donut - Thank you! Read! You have to now! It's important! Thanks! haha...

.:: Hey! If you like HP, you are so cool… ::.

- Ever have a buddy set you up with someone, but you end up liking that person's best friend? Yep, that's me… disclaimer… lol

- Nothing says Merry Christmas like a banana and no one takes that quote or these morons: Lindsay, Jessica, Arielle Faye Turner, Rebecca Barbossa, Paige Castrella Madrine (Lillian Paige Barbossa), Thomas Pikes and Meridian. I own them.

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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: "A diary?"

"Grace…"

"What?" I asked, covering myself deeper into the covers.

"It's time te go."

"Go where?"

"With me."

"I'd rather sleep…" I said stubbornly.

"No, ye don't understand. It's time for ye te go."

Now that I was awake from talking, I recognized that slow ominous voice.

"Who are you?" I asked quietly, my eyes opening in fear.

I turned around; meeting a sight my mind couldn't immediately cope with. There was Barbossa standing over me. Not his daughter – him. I went to shriek, but his cold slimy hand clamped over my mouth before it escaped me.

"I'm just here te tell ye…"

He slowly raised a long silver dagger, and I thrashed more for my freedom as his grip tightened on my mouth.

"…it's time for ye te go."

To my horror, he raised it even higher, and I readied myself for the dagger to plunge right into my pitiful self. I closed my eyes tight, and then it slammed into me – a pillow.

I shot up wide-eyed and breathing heavy, and next to me was Lindsay who was smiling, trying to hold in her laughter. I grabbed my pillow and hit her softly in the side.

"That was not funny," I said.

"You talking in your sleep is always funny," Lindsay said. "First Jack possesses Mr. Cotton's parrot, now you're screaming. Bad dream?"

I nodded, sick to my stomach.

"More than you know," I muttered, thinking back to my dream.

"What was it about?" Lindsay asked, now a bit serious (key word, a bit… WHAP! Shut up, Erica…).

And so I told her my dream.

"Whoa…" Lindsay said. "That's nuts…Scary nuts?"

"Scared out of your mind nuts," I said

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Grace? Jane?"

We looked over to the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's Elizabeth."

"Come in," Lindsay said.

She did, already dressed in a beautiful gown for the day, and I got out of bed and stretched and yawned.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Seven," Elizabeth said as four maids entered the room.

"Time to get ready?" Lindsay asked.

Two maids came of to Lindsay and pulled her behind the dressing curtain.

"Obviously," she said. "Hey! I can dress myself!"

"Not in this time period, you can't," I said.

Elizabeth came over as I plopped back into bed waiting for my turn to get on my dress. I sat up next to her, and she smiled, touching her head to my shoulder lightly. I didn't need to ask about Jack; I already knew. I sniffed back a tear I had felt coming on, and I pulled my book bag in front of me.

"What are you looking for?" Elizabeth asked.

"Something to give Paige for her birthday," I said.

"I picked out something last night," Lindsay said, her head peeking out from around the dressing screen. "It's –OW! – on my nightstand… No! Stop with the corset!"

I laughed as I headed over to the nightstand.

"Yep, she's Little Swann…" I said.

"Estella! She doesn't need a corset!" Elizabeth yelled.

"Yes, Mrs. Turner," Estella said.

"Bless you," Lindsay said to Elizabeth before her head was again pulled back behind the screen.

I opened the top nightstand drawer and the only thing in there was a journal. I raised an eyebrow and lifted it out carefully.

"A diary?" I asked Lindsay.

"Just read it!" Lindsay said.

I opened the book. It wasn't a diary of any sort. The first page read 'How To Be A Twenty-First Century American Teenager And Pirate At The Same Time, Or To Put It More Simply, A Little.'

That's it. That 's the shorter name I've been looking for.

A Little.

My eyes started to water. A Little…That's me. And not just any Little.

Little Sparrow.

"Pirates don't cry…"

I stood upright and took a deep breath.

"Ye'll always be Little Sparrow…"

I nodded.

"Nothing can change that…"

"Nothing," I whispered.

"Nothing…"

I sat back down on the bed and smiled best I could as I began to flip through the book. Our Breakfast Club Names were there (I am Kermit P. Wa-ful lol), the trees we climb and their names, our inside jokes with full explanations, our food creations, fashion tips, all the info on school and its do's and don'ts, holidays and their purpose with our own traditions written beneath them, and so much more we could give her, all in this tiny journal…

"You like it?" Lindsay asked.

"Where did you find the time to write all this?" I asked.

"Oh, I've kept that book a long time. I made photocopies of each page so we'd each have a copy back home a while ago, but they were supposed to be birthday gifts. And when I found out it was Paige's birthday, I just decided to give her the original."

"That's very cool," I said. "I think she'll love it. And I better get a copy back home!"

"You, me, and Stewy all will, don't worry!" she said. "What are you giving her?"

"Good question," I said, looking through my bag still. Nothing in there really seemed all that good to give for a present. I looked over at my nightstand, and the answer was sitting right there. I scooted down the bed and picked up my DVD player. I opened it; the Pirates of the Caribbean DVD was still in there. I took it out and put it in the case, and I took a CD to replace it, and then I put another two CDs in cases on top of the DVD player and DVD.

"There," Estella said.

I looked up, and Lindsay came out in her gorgeous dress. I smiled as Lindsay twirled around in it. Elizabeth got up and looked her over.

"Simply beautiful," she said. "Now to do your hair…"

They went over to the vanity as I was tugged behind the dressing screen for my dress to be put on. I'm not discussing that experience.

Two hours later, my hair was done beautiful as I could ever imagine it; I was wound tightly to my head with a lone curl falling over my shoulder. It reminded me of Elizabeth's at the end of the movie…

"Mary and Paige are ready," Elizabeth said after coming back from checking on Stewy and Paige. Estella handed Lindsay and I both fans, and we exited into the hall where Jessica and Paige had just came into as well.

"Oh wow," Lindsay said once we saw them. Jessica was in a dark purple gown, and Paige's was and icy blue and white. It felt like we were royalty in these dresses and in this big house, and we sort of were, but only for a day.

Paige didn't smile right away; she just fixed her dress and looked up. I went over and hugged her to say happy birthday, but she started to cry a bit. I bit my lip, commanding myself not to let one sniff or tear out on her birthday and to make it the best we could. I handed her my gift, and she took it.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's called a DVD player," I said. "I told you about it. But anyways, this way you can always have Jack with you, no matter what."

She took it from me and smiled down on it.

"Thank you," she said. "But I couldn't-"

"Believe me," I said. "I can always get another. You can't,"

She pulled me into another hug, and Will suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs holding baby Arielle close to him, and I saw him and Elizabeth exchange looks when they saw us all sad and that.

"Um, Thomas is downstairs," Will said.

Paige let go of me and straightened herself, and then she and Will led the way downstairs. Thomas stood by the large front doors waiting patiently for us, and then he walked up to us when we saw them.

"May I?" he asked, extending his arm to Paige.

She took it, and I could feel Lindsay hitting her with jealousy waves. I smiled briefly and looked over at her as we made headway into the dining room. The governor was in there with a few maids who left as we entered the room.

"Ah, there they are," Governor Swann, said as we took our seats. "And how lovely you all look."

Paige sat at the head of the table with me and Stewy to her right, Lindsay and Thomas on her left. Will, Elizabeth, and the Governor didn't sit down, but they stood around the table.

"Now, these three girls have told us how to throw a birthday party, and hopefully we got the cake right," Governor Swann said as a maid brought out a beautifully decorated cake and placed it in front of Paige.

"What about the candles?" Lindsay asked.

"Candles?" Paige asked.

"Well yeah," I said. "That's the whole point of a birthday party. You get a cake with candles on it, we turn the lights out and sing 'Happy Birthday To You,' you make a wish and don't tell what it is, and if you blow all the candles out when the song is over, the wish comes true."

"I like the sound of that," Paige said.

"Estella, would you please bring Miss-"

"Madrine," Paige said avoiding being called by her real last name.

"Yes," Governor Swann said. "Bring Miss Madrine some candles."

"Yes, sir," she said, leaving the dining room.

"What happens after my wish?" Paige asked.

"You get presents," Jessica said. "On your birthday, everyone gives you a present."

"Or money," Lindsay said.

"Is that the green stuff?" Paige asked.

"Yep," I said.

"And then what?"

"We all get a piece of cake," Jessica said.

"Is this true?" Paige asked Will and Elizabeth. "You were with them a year ago… is it true?"

"We never really had a birthday party," Elizabeth said.

"But we were there for any other celebration they had," Will said. "They seemed to like to have one whenever something was good enough to celebrate."

"Which was almost everything," Elizabeth said.

We smiled innocently.

Shortly, Estella returned with the candles and stuck them into the cake. Stewy whipped out her matches and went to light them. When the last candle was lit, Stewy sat back down beside me, and Paige stared into the candle's mesmerizing glow. Her smile faded slowly, and Elizabeth nudged her father's side. Norrington suddenly entered the dining room at that time, and he stood next to Governor Swann.

"Err…Happy Birthday," Governor Swann said to Paige.

"There's nothing to be happy about," Paige said quietly as she continued to gaze into her cake.

Suddenly, a big hand gently fell on Paige's right shoulder.

"Now why on earth would ye say something like that?"

Paige sat bolt upright in her chair, and her eyes looked at the hand on her shoulder. They rest of us looked up, and…and…

"JACK!" Lindsay yelled, jumping out of her chair and knocking it over. I stood up slowly, too, but Jessica jumped up as Lindsay had, sending her chair flying into the wall. She ran up to him about to tackle him, but he put his arms out in defense.

"Hold it right there, Mary," he said.

Jessica stopped, but she was beaming all the same.

"Sit down and let's let Lily have her... thing…"

Jessica picked up her chair and returned to her seat, as did Lindsay and I. Jack put his hand back on Paige's shoulder and leaned in to speak to her.

"Make a wish," he said. "It's not everyday your pirate turns sixteen after all…"

Paige's smile was the biggest I had ever seen it in the five or six days that I had known her. She took a deep breath, and blew out every candle on the cake. We clapped and cheered and that, and after that, we jumped out of our chairs again, sending them flying.

"Can we attack you now because we're so happy that you're alive?" I asked.

"Or can't we attack you because we're so happy that you're alive because you're hurt?" Lindsay asked, looking over at Norrington.

"He's fine," Norrington said. "You're a lucky one, Sparrow."

"Norrington saved you?!" Jessica asked.

"Eh… don't rub it in, Mary," Jack said. "Aye, go ahead and suffocate me with yer hugs and whatnot if ye must," he said.

"We must," Paige said smiling ear to ear at him.

Jack sighed, and then he threw his arms to his sides in surrender.

"All right," he said, motioning to us to come on with a sly smile. "Do yer worst."

I leaped at him at the same time Lindsay, Jessica, and Paige did, and all of us slammed into the floor putting death grips on Jack an thanking God he was safe, alive, ect.

"Off! Mary! OW!! Air! BREATHE!!!"

"Come on, girls! Off of him now," Will said, throwing us off of Jack. "Let the poor man breathe!"

"Aye, let poor Captain Jack breathe here," Jack said, straightening his shirt and stuff as he got up. "So! Erm… got any rum?" he asked Will.

Will laughed, and shook his head.

"Well then!" Jack said. "This calls for a trip to Tortuga then!"

"Yeah!" Jessica and I chorused.

"Now?" Governor Swann asked. "But… how… how did you survive?"

"When Rebecca shot me, she forgot one very important thing…" Jack said. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Ha! Yes!" Jessica yelled, pointing at him. She parted the crowd and ran for the stairs. Boy, Jess can run good in heels…

"Where's she off to?" Norrington asked.

"Aye?" Jack asked.

"Little red notepad ring a bell?" Lindsay asked.

I shook my head with a smile.

"That's Stewy for ya…"

"Crazy lass…" Jack said. "No offense, Will…"

Will just smiled with Elizabeth who walked up to Jack and kissed him. This time on the cheek. Yeah, you better back off, Lizzy… especially after your obsession with him last year…

"Well, ye've got some family," Jack said to Will. "Crazy 'cept for Elizabeth and baby here, of course."

"Guess we know were you and Stewy get it from," I said to Lindsay. She elbowed me, but I just laughed.

"I'm Little Swann, remember?" she asked. "I take after non-crazy folk." I huffed under my breath with a playful smile.

"Suuuuure you do…"

"Yeah, but I got these two," Jack said, swinging an arm over Paige and me. I looked up at Jack and then over at Paige who smiled; we were sort of sisters now, huh? Cool…

"What a bunch you make," Elizabeth said.

"Aye," Jack said. "But crazy or not, what in the bloody hell are ye dressed up?! Ye look nice and all, but yer pirates! Or have ye turned on me because Elizabeth's brainwashed ye or something? Calm down Lizzy, I didn't mean it…" Jack said as we heard Stewy come running down the stairs with that unmistakable red pad and pencil in her hand.

"Ha! I got it!" she said. She came running through the doors and tripped up on the rug, flying into Norrington, who went full speed headfirst into Paige's birthday cake. Everyone stared laughing, doing a very bad job of hiding it if they were trying (-looks at Governor Swann and Will-)…

"Oh my god!" Jessica said as she leaned into the table for support s she fell to the ground in laughter. Lindsay was laughing so hard she was leaning against me, and I just hugged Jack there. It was an odd time to do it, but I couldn't help it.

"Whoo…" Jack said after a few more laughs. "So, now what?"

"I believe you mentioned a trip to Tortuga…" I said, looking up at Jack.

"I did, didn't I?" he asked. "As long as Lily's up for it…"

"Of course!" Paige said.

"Good," Jack said. "And would any of ye others like to go?"

"Father, Will and I will be back tomorrow," Elizabeth said. "Have Estella look over Arielle, would you?"

"Yes, Elizabeth, dear, but I must say, I wish –"

"Lighten up and live a little," I said. "It's one day."

Eventually, the governor nodded, and we smiled.

"Well, to the ship!" Jack said happily. "But get out of those," he said, motioning to our dresses, "and put on yer normal attire first."

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Paige said.

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- Sniff… that was so good…

Hope I made up for when you all wanted to hunt me down and murder me lol…

Please Review! Don't worry, more to come!