Katherine Turner wasn't usually one to sleep late. Given this fact, she gave herself a small shock when she awoke to the world at 9:00 in the morning. "What happened?" she thought, groggily, rubbing her head in confusion. She hopped out of bed and began to tuck the sheets under the mattress in a less than hotel-worthy fashion. As she did, the corner of her brother's stolen trousers peeked out at her. Suddenly, all the events of the previous night came rushing back to her. In particular, that of a certain pirate named Jack Sparrow and his promise to keep the said events a secret from her father.

"Oh God," thought Kate, hastily shoving the pants back into the mattress, "I hope he kept his mouth shut."

Almost as suddenly as she thought this, Kate suddenly remembered the awful detail that Jack had never actually said he would cover for her; he only said he'd "take care of it". What if he was really going to tell on her? After all, from the stories Kate had been told, if there was one thing Captain Jack Sparrow was good at, it was finding loop-holes. Kate prayed that he would see the meaning her way, and keep quiet.

Muttering hopeful words to herself as she went, Kate left her room and started down the staircase to try pilfering some breakfast without getting spotted by the cook, as was her morning venture. Yes, she could very well have asked for some, but where's the excitement in that?

Giggling to herself as she thought how the cook must have been unnecessarily glaring about the kitchen due to her late waking, Kate was frozen in mid-step as the front door was opened by the maid and her father strode in. She quickly ducked behind the small wall, which served as a railing. "Why is he home early?" she thought desperately, yet already knowing the answer.

"Morning, Beth," she heard him say to the girl who had come to the door, "Is my daughter awake yet?"

"Oh no! I'm doomed!" she thought, "I've got to get out of here." Desperately not wanting to be seen by either of the people talking, Kate scurried up the stairs on her hands and feet as quickly as she could. Unfortunately, not quickly enough.

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"I haven't seen her, Mr. Turner." Beth was telling Will, "Shall I go and wake her."

Getting the sudden feeling he was being watched, Will turned his head toward the staircase and saw just the slightest glimpse of a shadow moving toward the second floor. "No thank you, Beth. I think I'll take care of it."

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As she reached the top of the stairs, Kate bolted into her room, swung the door shut, and dove deep into her bed in less than 5 seconds. Her heart had just begun to slow when her father eased the door open, no doubt having been told that she was still asleep. Her body was rigid as a steel plate as he approached the bed. The mattress sank as he sat down and Kate could feel him looking in her direction.

"Kate?" he asked, softly, "Are you awake, sweetheart?"

She didn't dare stir, as somewhere in the naïve part of her mind, she felt that her secret might still be safe. Will continued talking to the seemingly unconscious lump that was his daughter.

"Well, if you're sleeping, I suppose it wouldn't interest you to know that, odd thing really; there was pirate in my blacksmith shop this morning." He paused, seeing if his statement would pose any results. It didn't. He continued. "But then, as this curious pirate so readily confessed to me, it seems you already know quite a bit about such intruders. Tell me, did you jog down there or did the moonlight street gangs give you a lift?"

Instantly, Kate knew Jack must have spilled the beans. There was no use pretending any more. She flipped the covers off her head. "Just get it over with!" she exclaimed, scrunching her eyes shut, swinging her legs over the side of her bed, and facing the opposite wall, "What are you going to do with me? Are you sending me away to a boarding school? Or prison?"

So sure of her fate now, Kate didn't dare look at her father, and therefore failed to notice that he was smiling. Letting a chuckle escape him, he put his arms around his daughter and pulled her next to him. "Of course not, Kate."

Her eyes popped opened, crossed slightly, not daring to believe what she just heard. "But-But you know." she stammered, feeling her stomach churn, "You know that I snuck out and-and everything."

"Yes," Will replied, not quite aware of the nausea he was causing her at the moment, "However, thanks to some guidance from a friend of mine, I also know why you did it."

"Because I'm an ill-mannered tomboy, who'll never be a proper lady?" she suggested, thinking that if she agreed with him, she might get off easier.

"No." said Will, "Because you're my daughter, that's why."

Finally noticing her obvious confusion, Will explained everything; Jack's obvious plot to help Kate out, the discussion the two had had about her, and, lastly, about the grandfather she had never met, as he played a key roll in Jack's argument.

"So, you see," he concluded, after many minutes, "Thanks to a little reminder from your ol' mate Jack, I realized that the want for something more in this life is something that the members of my gene pool share. Neither my father nor I could ignore it, as much as I tried myself. And I see now that neither can you. And I'm sorry for trying to force you to do just that."

Kate's mind was muddled with all the new information hitting it. She thought she had grasped the gist of all this, but it wasn't something most children are used to; their parents being wrong. In Kate's case, she was also unused to the fact that something she'd done hadn't gotten her into trouble. "So, you're not mad at me?"

"No; I've come to think that what really matters is what you want, not what I want for you. And last night has proved to me that, while you're still quite young, you are ready to make that decision. At least to some degree."

Will took a deep breath and prepared to bring on the grand finale. "This being so, me and your Uncle Jack have cooked up something of a bargain for you." Will said, smiling slightly at the thought of 'Uncle Jack'.

"What is it? What is it?" Kate yipped, getting to her knees and facing him, an eager look on her if ever there was one. New as the concept was, Kate by now realized that she was being declared innocent, and that what her father was about to say was going to be highly in her favor.

"It's clear to me now," he began, slowly, "That lady hood will not serve me daughter. However," he added, noticing the pupils in Kate's eyes were dilating to twice their normal size, "Neither will being a commonplace ragamuffin. So here's what we've agreed on; when you reach 18, you will be permitted to join Jack on his ship The Black Pearl for a 2 year voyage."

A rocket seemed to have gone off in Kate's stomach. She made a wild leap into the air and, upon coming back down, broke into a series of dance steps to no particular tune on top of her mattress. Inaudible exclamations and high-pitched shrieks flew from her mouth like seagulls over the ocean in the small girl's great fit of unyielding jubilation.

"Hold on, young lady! I wasn't finished yet." Will scolded, pulling her back down on the bed. "Now, that little outing is 9 years away. So until you are 12 years old, for another three year session, as before, you will re-take your etiquette lessons. I'm still not finished, you silly thing!" he exclaimed, seeing Kate's expression change from unwavering joy to near tears.

"Seeing as, by then, there will be 6 years until your voyage; Jack believes it would suit you to have some preparation for the work you'll have to do on the ship. There are a few things one can do for this, but Jack has made it very clear that metal-working would be the most affective for a specimen such as you." Kate's eyes brightened at this and Will held her arm firmly in case of another rapturous outburst.

"It's common" he continued, "For a blacksmith trainee to apprentice 6 years beside a master so, upon turning 18, they may be ready to open their own shop. Anthony started at 12 years old for that reason and, being that your etiquette lessons will be over just as you reach that age, so will you.

"With that training, you should be more than capable of performing the tasks required of a sailor, which I'm sure you'll pick up rather quickly."

"You'd better not be joking!" Kate practically choked out the words, her throat restricted with excitement, "Because if you are-"

"No, Katherine; it's the God-honest truth." Will replied, beaming.

"Oh, thank you, Daddy! Thank you!" she yelled, hugging her father as much as her short arms would allow, "You have no idea how great this is!"

"Some how I think I do." said Will, returning the hug. However, after a minute, he let go, knowing he would have to get everything out before Kate made it out of the room, or her would never be able to get a word in later.

"Now, there a still a few things we have to go over before we declare the deal done. Number one: out of your training, you will still be expected to act like a lady, as you'll have been taught to. After all, if I can manage to keep to etiquette, I think you can as well."

"OK." Kate said; nothing could ruin her mood now.

"Number two: while you're on the ship, you will listen to what Jack, Gibbs and Anna-Maria say. If Jack has been drinking more rum than usual, go straight to Gibbs and Anna and stay there until Jack's sober again. And if all else fails, stick with Anna-Maria; she'll no doubt be the one you'll have the most in common with anyway."

"Yes, sir!" Kate chirped, bringing her hand to her brow in a salute.

"Number three, and this is the most important one of all, so pay attention: I can't choose the path of your life for you. That's something you'll have to do for yourself. I know, now, you think that becoming a pirate is what you would like to do for your life, but, believe me, it's quite different out on a real ship than it is hearing about piracy in stories and songs. Your mother will tell you that any day of the week." said Will, remembering how Elizabeth had thought she would fancy being a pirate from a song she'd learned as a girl.

"So I want you to promise me this;" he continued, he gaze deathly serious, "You won't make any decisions for certain until you get back from your trip. Promise?"

Kate grinned her most angelic grin, "Why, Daddy, why ever would you think I'd do otherwise?"

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DO YOU LOVE IT! Kate awesomeness! WOOT!